12+ Easy Japanese Particles: The Ultimate Guide

Orginal blog post: https://ling-app.com/ja/japanese-particles/

Konnichiwa! (こんにちは) Today, we are greeting you with the typical Japanese expression, which means “hello.” We are excited to warm you up before brushing up on the Japanese particles lesson together. So how is your Japanese level so far? If you are someone who keeps memorizing basic Japanese vocabulary but has no idea how to connect them, it is time to push yourself to the upper level by learning Japanese particles.

Though remembering Japanese words and phrases can help you survive when traveling to Japan, learning how to structure them into a complete sentence can undoubtedly help you to get the most out of your experience. You do not have to be a total native speaker overnight, but it would be wise if you could try to express トイレはどこですか? [toire wa doko desu ka], “where is the toilet?” than just sayingトイレ (to-i-re) to the locals.

Although simple, using the above example will make you sound so eloquent and ensure that there will be no misinterpretation between you and the Japanese. After all, the Japanese language is so complex that tons of words and expressions may sound the same yet have different meanings depending on the context. Ready to learn more about it? Level up your proficiency in this Asian language by taking note of the short lesson below!

What Is The Basic Japanese Grammar Rule?

From there, if you want to master creating Japanese sentences, it is necessary to understand Japanese grammar rules. First, the Japanese language has a subject, verb, and object like other languages. However, Japanese sentences are uniquely ordered. Instead of ordering from subject-verb-object, in Japanese, verbs come at the end of a sentence. For example;

Subject + Particle + Object + Particle + Verb

• 私 は 寿司 を 食べる (watashi wa sushi wo taberu) — I eat sushi.

Besides the Japanese sentence structure, you must change verb tenses when discussing the present and past. But one thing that can be used to judge if you speak broken grammar is Japanese particles. Also, if you look closely at the sentence above, there are two particles in the sentence. Japanese particles play a key role in indicating words within a sentence. They are small words but make a sentence complete and clear.

A Guide To The Common Japanese Particles

There are heaps of Japanese particles to remember. But do not give up yet; you can focus on the commonly used particles and spare time for other particles in the future.

1. Particle は [Wa]

When you enter the Japanese language world, this particle is undoubtedly the first one you meet. It is a subject marker.

Example Sentence

• 私 は 眠い です。(watashi wa nemui desu) — I am sleepy.

2. Particle を [Wo] — Pronounced “O”

The direct object particle indicates what receives the action of the verb. This is one of the most common Japanese particles because you will always use it.

Example Sentence

• 私 は 毎日新聞 を 読む。(mainichi shinbun o yomu) — I read the newspaper every day.

3. Particle の [No]

This particle is a subject marker to indicate that something belongs to someone.

Example Sentence

• あなた の 靴はどれですか? (anata no kutsu wa dore desu ka) — Which one is your shoes?

4. Particle も [Mo]

This particle simply replaces は (wa) when you want to comply with something.

Example Sentence

• 私も日本人です。 (watashi mo nihonjin desu) — I am also Japanese.

5. Particle と [To]

Its role is to connect two nouns together when they take that action at the same time.

Example Sentence

• 私 は 弟と学校に行く。 (otouto to gakkou ni iku) — I go to school with my brother.

6. Particle に [Ni]

It indicates the time and location where an action takes place.

Example Sentence

• 私は六時に起きる。(watashi wa rokuji ni okiru) — I wake up at 6.
• 私はここにいる。(watashi wa koko ni iru) — I am here.

7. Particle へ — Pronounced [え : e]

It is slightly different from に (ni), but へ (e) is more specific on the spot where you are (exactly) going.

Example Sentence

• 船が北へ向かう。 (fune ga kita e mukau) — The ship goes to the north.

8. Particle か [Ka]

This particle indicates the question word and must be put at the end of a sentence.

Example Sentence

• ラーメンでも食べようか。 (Raamen demo tabeyou ka) — Shall we eat Ramen?

9. Particle が [Ga]

It can be used to indicate something’s condition, and it is an adjective marker.

Example Sentence

• タイが暑い。 (Tai ga atsui) — Thailand is hot.
• 私は日本語が大好きだ。 (Nihongo ga daisuki da) — I really like Japan.

10. Particle で [De]

This particle indicates where your movement takes place, for example, work at the company, exercise at the gym, dance in the park, etc.

Example Sentence

• 私は学校で勉強する。 (watashi wa gakkou de benkyou suru) — I study at school.

11. Particle から [Kara]

It simply means “from,” indicating the origin of that action.

Example Sentence

• タイから日本まで約６時間かかる。 (Tai kara nihon made yaku rokujikan kakaru) — From Thailand to Japan take around 6 hours.

12. Particle まで [Made]

If から [kara] means “from”, so まで (made) means “to”. It indicates the destination where the action is ended.

Example Sentence

• タイから日本まで約６時間かかる。 (Tai kara nihon made yaku rokujikan kakaru) — From Thailand to Japan take around 6 hours.

13. Particle や [Ya]

It works by giving examples, (…and…), but it is placed between each sample the speaker provides.

Example Sentence

• 赤や青や黄色が混じり合っている。 (aka ya ao ya kiiro ga majiri atte iru) — Red, blue, yellow, and other colors are mixed.

14. Particle よ [Yo]

This particle is always put at the end of a sentence. It is used to highlight the word you express and make it clear.

Example Sentence

• 早く起きないと遅刻するのよ。(hayaku okinai to chikoku suru no yo) — If you don’t get up, you’ll be late.

15. Particle ね [Ne]

It works the same way as よ (yo), but this particle expresses a softer feeling.

Example Sentence

• 今日はいい天気だね。 (kyou wa ii tenki da ne) — The weather is good today.
• 僕はこの歌が嫌いだね。 (boku wa kono uta ga kirai da ne) — I hate this song.

Conclusion

You probably realize from now that it is so beneficial to learn Japanese particles as they are really handy when it comes to stringing together a complete sentence. Basically, they pave the way for better communication. However, the Japanese language has over 180+ particles, so we urge you to at least familiarize yourself with the basic ones covered in this post. Also, try to practice at least one Japanese particle daily because bit-by-bit every day is more productive than ever.

Learn Japanese Particles With The Ling App

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If you need to practice more conveniently, there’s nothing that we can recommend more than to learn the Japanese language with the Ling App. What are you waiting for? Download it today and start learning Japanese and other foreign languages right away!