Phase 2 · 10 min
Particles は が を に で
The role markers
Particles come after a noun and tell you what the noun is doing in the sentence. Five carry most of the load.
| は (wa)ha (wa) | Topic | 'As for X…' Sets what the sentence is about. |
| が (ga)ga (ga) | Subject | Identifies who/what does or exists. New information. |
| を (o)o (o) | Object | What the verb acts on. |
| に (ni)ni (ni) | Target / time / location of existence | 'to', 'at (time)', 'in (exists)' |
| で (de)de (de) | Place of action / means | 'at (does something)', 'by', 'with' |
From Urdu
Particles are postpositions, exactly like Urdu کو، میں، سے، نے. を ≈ کو on the object (چائے کو → お茶を). に ≈ کو / میں for destination (دفتر کو → 会社に). で ≈ سے for means (قلم سے → ペンで) and میں for place of action. は/が split the job of Urdu's topic-fronting: は is what you would say first with a pause.
From Thai
Thai marks roles with word order and a few prepositions (ที่, ด้วย). Japanese puts the marker AFTER the noun instead: ที่บริษัท (at the company) becomes 会社で. Translate the preposition, then flip it to the right side of the noun.
私はコーヒーを飲みます。
わたし は コーヒー を のみます
watashi wa kōhī o nomimasu
I drink coffee.
は topic, を object
会社に行きます。
かいしゃ に いきます
kaisha ni ikimasu
I go to the company.
に = destination
会社で働きます。
かいしゃ で はたらきます
kaisha de hatarakimasu
I work at the company.
で = place where an action happens
誰が来ますか。
だれ が きますか
dare ga kimasuka
Who is coming?
Question words take が, never は.
Pythonで分析します。
パイソン で ぶんせき します
paison de bunseki shimasu
I analyse with Python.
で = means / tool
Check yourself
1 / 6
会社で働きます
7 cards
Add them to spaced repetition
Cards in this lesson (7)
〜は
〜ha
topic marker (said 'wa')
〜が
〜ga
subject marker, new info, question words
〜を
〜o
direct object (said 'o')
〜に
〜ni
destination, time, location of existence
〜で
〜de
place of action, means/tool
会社に行きますかいしゃ に いきます
kaisha ni ikimasu
I go to the company
会社で働きますかいしゃ で はたらきます
kaisha de hatarakimasu
I work at the company