Japanese Particles: は vs が・を・に・で — Complete Guide

The first time I ordered food in Japan, I confidently said 「私わたしはラーメン」 (Watashi wa rāmen). The waiter nodded, but something felt... off. I had said "As for me, ramen," which wasn't wrong, but it wasn't what a native speaker would say.

That's Japanese particles for you. They're the small words that turn disconnected vocabulary into natural sentences. Ignore them, and you'll always sound like a textbook. Master them, and you start to think in Japanese.

The key isn't memorizing rules—it's understanding what each particle actually does in the sentence.

Quick Reference Guide

Table of Contents

• What Are Japanese Particles?
• は (wa) - The Topic Marker
• が (ga) - The Subject Marker
• は vs が - Which One to Use?
• を (o) - The Direct Object Marker
• に (ni) - The Pinpoint Particle
• で (de) - The Context Particle
• Common Particle Mistakes
• Real Conversation Examples

What Are Japanese Particles?

In English, word order matters: "Dog bites man" is very different from "Man bites dog."

Japanese uses particles to show relationships between words, giving you much more flexibility with word order. Think of particles as little tags that tell you each word's job in the sentence.

犬いぬが人ひとを噛かみました (inu ga hito o kamimashita)
人ひとを犬いぬが噛かみました (hito o inu ga kamimashita)

The particles が (subject) and を (object) make both sentences mean "The dog bit the man." Same meaning, different word order.

は (wa) - The Topic Marker

Important: Written as は but pronounced "wa"

Think of は as setting the conversation topic. It's like saying "Speaking of..." or "As for..." in English.

Basic Usage

私わたしは学がく生せいです。
Watashi wa gakusei desu.
"Speaking of me, I am a student"

今日きょうは暑あついですね。
Kyō wa atsui desu ne.
"As for today, it's hot"

Contrast and Emphasis

は often creates subtle contrasts. When you say A は B, you're hinting that something else might not be B.

ビールは飲のみますが、ワインは飲のみません。
Bīru wa nomimasu ga, wain wa nomimasen.
"I drink beer, but I don't drink wine."

The は particles highlight the contrast between beer and wine.

が (ga) - The Subject Marker

If は sets the topic, が identifies the specific actor. It points to who or what is actually doing something or being described.

Basic Usage

雨あめが降ふっています。
Ame ga futte imasu.
"Rain is falling"

猫ねこがいます。
Neko ga imasu.
"There is a cat"

New Information Focus

が introduces new, specific information, especially when answering questions.

誰だれが来きましたか？
Dare ga kimashita ka?
"Who came?"

山やま田ださんが来きました。
Yamada-san ga kimashita.
"Yamada-san came."

With Descriptive Sentences

When describing something you observe, use が.

このケーキが美お味いしいです。
Kono kēki ga oishii desu.
"This cake is delicious."

は vs が - Which One to Use?

The difference is about information flow. は introduces familiar topics, が identifies specific new information.

Compare These Examples:

象ぞうは鼻はなが長ながいです。
Zō wa hana ga nagai desu.
"As for elephants, their noses are long."
(Topic: elephants; New info: which part is long)

あ、象ぞうがいます！
A, zō ga imasu!
"Oh, there's an elephant!"
(Introducing completely new information)

Question and Answer Patterns

Who ate the cake?
誰だれがケーキを食たべましたか？

Natural answer:
私わたしが食たべました。
"I did." (You're the specific new information)

Unnatural answer:
私わたしは食たべました。
"As for me, I ate." (Sounds like you're changing the topic)

を (o) - The Direct Object Marker

Important: Written as を but pronounced "o"

を points to what receives the action of the verb.

Basic Usage

本ほんを読よみます。
Hon o yomimasu.
"(I) read a book."

映えい画がを見みました。
Eiga o mimashita.
"(I) watched a movie."

水みずを飲のんでください。
Mizu o nonde kudasai.
"Please drink water."

Movement Through or From a Place

を also marks spaces you move through or leave.

公こう園えんを散さん歩ぽします。
Kōen o sanpo shimasu.
"(I) walk through the park."

家いえを出でます。
Ie o demasu.
"(I) leave the house."

に (ni) - The Pinpoint Particle

に marks specific targets: points in time, destinations, locations of existence, or purposes.

Time (Specific Points)

三さん時じに会あいましょう。
San-ji ni aimashou.
"Let's meet at 3 o'clock."

日にち曜よう日びに出でかけます。
Nichiyōbi ni dekakemasu.
"(I) go out on Sunday."

Note: Don't use に with relative time words like 今日きょう (today) or 明日あした (tomorrow).

Direction and Destination

大おお阪さかに行いきます。
Ōsaka ni ikimasu.
"(I) am going to Osaka."

Purpose (With Motion Verbs)

買かい物ものに行いきます。
Kaimono ni ikimasu.
"(I) go shopping."

Existence Location

に marks where something exists.

テーブルの下したに猫ねこがいます。
Tēburu no shita ni neko ga imasu.
"There is a cat under the table."

で (de) - The Context Particle

で provides context—where actions happen or how they're performed.

Action Location

図と書しょ館かんで勉べん強きょうします。
Toshokan de benkyō shimasu.
"(I) study at the library."

カフェで話はなしました。
Kafe de hanashimashita.
"(We) talked at a café."

Method and Means

バスで行いきます。
Basu de ikimasu.
"(I) go by bus."

日に本ほん語ごで話はなしましょう。
Nihongo de hanashimashou.
"Let's speak in Japanese."

Scope or Total

三さん人にんで行いきます。
San-nin de ikimasu.
"(We) will go as a group of three."

千せん円えんで買かいました。
Sen-en de kaimashita.
"(I) bought (it) for 1000 yen."

Common Particle Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Confusing に and で for Location

The key difference: Existence vs. Action.

Wrong: 図と書しょ館かんに勉べん強きょうします。
Right: 図と書しょ館かんで勉べん強きょうします。
(You perform the action of studying at the library)

Wrong: 図と書しょ館かんで本ほんがたくさんあります。
Right: 図と書しょ館かんに本ほんがたくさんあります。
(The books exist in the library)

The 「好き (suki)」 Trap

In English: "I like dogs" (I = subject, dogs = object)
In Japanese: 犬いぬが好すきです (dogs = subject of "being likeable")

Wrong: 私わたしは犬いぬを好すきです。
Right: 私わたしは犬いぬが好すきです。

Answering Questions with the Wrong Particle

Q: 誰だれが飲のみ物ものを持もってきましたか？ (Who brought the drinks?)

Natural: マリアさんが持もってきました。
Awkward: マリアさんは持もってきました。

Real Conversation Examples

At a Café

A: ご注ちゅう文もんは何なににしますか？
Go-chūmon wa nani ni shimasu ka?
"What will you order?"

B: 私わたしはコーヒーを一ひとつお願ねがいします。田た中なかさんは？
Watashi wa kōhii o hitotsu onegaishimasu. Tanaka-san wa?
"I'll have one coffee, please. How about you, Tanaka-san?"

A: このケーキが美お味いしそうですね。これにします。
Kono kēki ga oishisō desu ne. Kore ni shimasu.
"This cake looks delicious. I'll have this."

Planning Weekend Activities

A: 土ど曜よう日びに映えい画がを見みに行いきませんか？
Doyōbi ni eiga o mi ni ikimasen ka?
"Would you like to go see a movie on Saturday?"

B: いいですね！どこで見みますか？
Ii desu ne! Doko de mimasu ka?
"That sounds good! Where shall we watch it?"

A: 新しん宿じゅくの映えい画が館かんはどうですか？電でん車しゃで簡かん単たんに行いけます。
Shinjuku no eigakan wa dō desu ka? Densha de kantan ni ikemasu.
"How about the movie theater in Shinjuku? We can get there easily by train."

The Bottom Line

Particles aren't just grammar rules to memorize—they're how Japanese speakers organize their thoughts. Once you start feeling the differences between は and が, or に and で, your Japanese will sound much more natural.

The secret is consistent practice with real sentences. Your brain picks up patterns naturally when you see them used correctly over and over.

Want more particle practice? Check out our verb conjugation guide to see how particles work with different verb forms, or explore our 300+ verb database to see particles in action with specific verbs.

Keep practicing, and soon particles will feel automatic.

頑がん張ばって！(Ganbatte!)