Japanese particles, explained
A Japanese particle follows the word it marks and says what that word does in the sentence. は (wa) marks the topic, what the sentence is about; が (ga) marks the subject, often as new or singled-out information: 私は払います means "as for me, I'll pay", while 私が払います means "I'm the one who'll pay". を (o) marks the direct object. に (ni) marks a destination, a point in time or where something exists; で (de) marks where an action happens, or the means used.
Updated 24 October 2026
The core particles in one table
Japanese word order is loose before the verb, and the particles are why: each one is a small label stuck to the end of a word, saying whether that word is the topic, the subject, the object, the place, the time or the tool. Move 本を ("the book", as object) to the front of the sentence and it is still the object. Ten particles cover most of what a beginner reads.
| Particle | Main job | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| は (wa) | Topic | 私は学生です。 | As for me, I am a student. |
| が (ga) | Subject, new information | 猫がいる。 | There is a cat. |
| を (o) | Direct object | 本を読む。 | I read a book. |
| に (ni) | Destination, time, where something is | 東京に行く。 | I go to Tokyo. |
| で (de) | Where an action happens, means | 図書館で勉強する。 | I study at the library. |
| の (no) | Links nouns, possession | 私の本 | my book |
| へ (e) | Direction | 日本へ行く。 | I head to Japan. |
| と (to) | "and" between nouns, "with" | 友達と話す。 | I talk with a friend. |
| も (mo) | Also | 私も学生です。 | I am a student too. |
| から / まで | From / until | 9時から5時まで | from nine to five |
を marks the direct object of a verb: 本を読む, "read a book"; コーヒーを飲む, "drink coffee". With verbs of movement it also marks the space moved through or left: 公園を散歩する, "walk in (through) the park"; 家を出る, "leave the house". That second use is why a place can take を, に or で, each with a different meaning.
の joins two nouns, the first describing the second: 私の本, "my book"; 日本語の先生, "a teacher of Japanese"; 東京の大学, "a university in Tokyo". The order is the reverse of English "of": the owner or the description comes first. Inside a clause that describes a noun, の can also stand in for が (母の作った料理, "the food my mother made").
と joins nouns into a complete list, "A and B" (パンと牛乳, "bread and milk"), and marks the person you do something with (友達と話す). For a list that is only a sample, "A, B and so on", use や: パンや牛乳. と never joins verbs or clauses in the sense of "and"; for that you use the te-form. から and まで mark a starting and an end point, in time (9時から5時まで) or in space (東京から大阪まで).
も means "also" or "too". It takes the place of は, が and を rather than following them, but it follows every other particle: 京都にも行った, "I went to Kyoto too"; 友達とも話した, "I talked with my friend as well".
How the particles are pronounced
- は is read wa when it is the particle, and ha everywhere else.
- へ is read e when it is the particle.
- を is read o.
So こんにちは ends in wa, because it began as a sentence with the particle は (今日は…, "as for today…"), while はな (flower) begins with ha. Particles are never stressed and never separated from their word by a pause: 私は is said as one unit, watashi-wa. A breakdown shows the particle reading in romaji so you can check it.
は (wa) or が (ga)?
The question learners ask most. Three rules cover most sentences, and two patterns follow from them.
First, は sets the topic, and が picks out the subject. は says "here is what I am talking about; now listen to what I say about it", and the weight of the sentence falls on what follows. が puts the weight on the word it marks. Introducing yourself, you say 私は田中です: "as for me, I am Tanaka". Answering "which of you is Tanaka?", you say 私が田中です: "I am the one who is Tanaka". The same split shows when something comes into view: 猫がいる, "there is a cat", reports a cat you have just noticed; 猫は庭にいる, "the cat is in the garden", talks about a cat both of you already know about.
Second, a question word that is the subject takes が, never は, and so does the word that answers it. A topic is something already known, and a question word is, by definition, the unknown:
- だれが来ましたか。Who came?
- 田中さんが来ました。Tanaka came.
- どれが一番安いですか。Which one is cheapest?
Third, は adds contrast. Two は in a row set two things against each other, and a single は can hint at a contrast it leaves unsaid. This is why は is so common with negative verbs: 肉は食べません, "meat I don't eat", suggests that other things you do.
- 肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。Meat I eat, but fish I do not.
- 今日は暑いですね。It's hot today, isn't it. (today, as opposed to other days)
Two more patterns follow from the same logic. Inside a clause that describes a noun, the subject takes が (or の), not は: 私が作ったケーキ, "the cake I made". A topic belongs to the whole sentence, and a describing clause is only part of a noun, so it cannot have one. In the sentence below, が marks who made the curry inside the describing clause, and は marks the whole phrase "the curry my mother made" as the topic of the sentence.
。
The curry my mother made is delicious.
Select a word to see why it is there.
がgaParticle“(subject)”
- Why this word
- The subject particle が
- Marks 母 as the one who made the curry, inside the clause that describes カレー. A subject inside a noun-describing clause takes が, never は, because は would claim the topic of the whole sentence.
- Dictionary
- が · particle — subject marker
- Alternatives
- の (母の作ったカレー: the same meaning, also correct inside a describing clause)
In this sentence
- が · Particle:
- Marks 母 as the one who made the curry, inside the clause that describes カレー. A subject inside a noun-describing clause takes が, never は, because は would claim the topic of the whole sentence.
- は · Ending particle:
- Marks "the curry my mother made", the whole phrase, as the topic: as for that curry, it is delicious. Everything before は is what the sentence is about; おいしい is what it says.
The second pattern: words for liking, wanting, being able and understanding take が for what is liked, wanted or understood: 犬が好きです, "I like dogs"; 日本語が分かります, "I understand Japanese"; 車がほしい, "I want a car". 好き and ほしい are adjectives, and 分かる and できる describe a state rather than an action done to an object, so there is no を. The person who likes or understands is usually the topic: 私は犬が好きです.
That is also how a sentence ends up with both particles. 象は鼻が長い, "elephants have long noses", is literally "as for elephants, the nose is long": は sets the topic and が marks the subject of what is said about it. 私は頭が痛い, "I have a headache", works the same way.
Explain は vs が at your levelwith Plus
に (ni) or で (de)?
Both can translate as "at" or "in". The verb decides. に marks where something is, or where something goes. で marks where an action takes place. Ask what the verb describes: being somewhere (いる, ある, 住む) or arriving somewhere (行く, 来る, 着く, 入る) takes に; doing something (食べる, 勉強する, 働く, 走る) takes で.
- 部屋に猫がいる。There is a cat in the room. (existence: に)
- 学校に行く。I go to school. (destination: に)
- 部屋で勉強する。I study in the room. (activity: で)
- 東京に住んで、横浜で働いています。I live in Tokyo and work in Yokohama. (住む takes に, 働く takes で)
に also marks a specific time: 7時に起きる, "get up at seven"; 三月に, "in March"; 日曜日に, "on Sunday". Relative times such as 今日 (today), 明日 (tomorrow), 毎朝 (every morning) and 来週 (next week) usually take no particle at all. In the sentence below, に and で sit side by side, one for the time and one for the place of the action.
。
I'm going to run in the park on Sunday.
Select a word to see why it is there.
でdeParticle“in”
- Why this word
- The case particle で, marking where an action happens
- Marks the park as the place where the action happens. 走る is an activity, so its place takes で. 公園に would treat the park as a destination or as where something simply is.
- Dictionary
- で · particle — at; in (place of an action); by means of; with
- Alternatives
- を (公園を走る: run through or around the park, the space moved across)
In this sentence
- で · Particle:
- Marks the park as the place where the action happens. 走る is an activity, so its place takes で. 公園に would treat the park as a destination or as where something simply is.
- に · Particle:
- Marks 日曜日 as the point in time of the run. Days, dates and clock times take に; relative words such as 明日 or 毎週 take no particle.
で has a second job that has nothing to do with place: it marks the means, the tool or the material. バスで行く, "go by bus"; 箸で食べる, "eat with chopsticks"; 日本語で話す, "speak in Japanese"; 木で作った, "made of wood". It can also give a cause, usually a noun: 風邪で休んだ, "I was off with a cold".
に has a second job too: it marks the person on the receiving end. 友達にメールを送る, "send an email to a friend"; 先生に聞く, "ask the teacher". Think of it as a destination that happens to be a person.
- 電車で会社に行きます。I go to work by train. (means: で, destination: に)
- 駅の前で友達に会った。I met a friend in front of the station. (where it happened: で, the person met: に)
- 机の上に財布があります。There is a wallet on the desk. (existence: に)
に (ni) or へ (e)?
Both mark a destination. へ stresses the direction, "towards"; に stresses arriving, "to". With verbs of movement they are often interchangeable: 京都に行く and 京都へ行く both mean "go to Kyoto", and へ sounds a little more written. Only に works for where something exists and for times.
One difference is mechanical: only へ can be followed by の. "A letter to my mother" is 母への手紙; 母にの手紙 does not exist. With 着く, "to arrive", に is the normal choice, because arriving is the point.
- 来年、アメリカへ留学します。Next year I am going to study in America. (へ: the direction of the move)
- 三時に駅に着きました。I arrived at the station at three. (に: the time, and the point arrived at)
- 先生への質問a question for the teacher (only へ can take の)
私が払います vs 私は払います: the same sentence with が and は
The clearest way to feel the difference is one sentence twice, with only the particle changed. The bill arrives at a dinner with friends. Both sentences below mean "I will pay" word for word, and they say different things to the people at the table.
。
I'll pay. (I'm the one paying, not you: an offer to get the bill)
Select a word to see why it is there.
がgaParticle“(subject)”
- Why this word
- The subject particle が
- Puts the weight on 私: I, and nobody else, am the one who will pay. This is how you offer to pick up the bill, and how you answer "who is paying?".
- Dictionary
- が · particle — subject marker
- Alternatives
- は (as for me, I'll pay; what the others do is left open)
In this sentence
- が · Particle:
- Puts the weight on 私: I, and nobody else, am the one who will pay. This is how you offer to pick up the bill, and how you answer "who is paying?".
。
As for me, I'll pay. (I will, whatever the others do; not an offer to pay for everyone)
Select a word to see why it is there.
はwaEnding particle“(topic)”
- Why this word
- The topic particle は, read wa
- Makes 私 the topic and, with others around, contrasts the speaker with them: I, for my part, will pay; what the others do is left open. It does not offer to pay for anyone else, and it cannot answer "who is paying?".
- Dictionary
- は · particle — topic marker
- Alternatives
- が (I am the one who will pay)
In this sentence
- は · Ending particle:
- Makes 私 the topic and, with others around, contrasts the speaker with them: I, for my part, will pay; what the others do is left open. It does not offer to pay for anyone else, and it cannot answer "who is paying?".
Put the two in context. A friend asks 誰が払う？, "who's paying?"; only 私が払います answers the question, because the answer to a question word takes が. Another friend asks whether everyone is chipping in, and some are not; 私は払います says that you, at least, will. Neither sentence is the neutral way to state an intention. When it is obvious who you are talking about, Japanese drops the pronoun and the particle together, and the plain statement is just 払います.
The rule of thumb that falls out of this: が answers "who?" or "what?", and the new information is the word it marks. は answers "what about X?", and the new information is everything after it.
Common mistakes
Notだれは来ましたか。
Butだれが来ましたか。
A question word that is the subject takes が. は marks something already known, and a question word is the unknown.
Not私は作ったケーキ
But私が作ったケーキ
The subject of a clause that describes a noun takes が (or の). は belongs to the whole sentence, never to part of a noun.
Not犬を好きです。
But犬が好きです。
好き is an adjective, not a verb, so what you like takes が. The same goes for ほしい, 分かる and できる.
Not図書館に勉強する。
But図書館で勉強する。
Where an action happens takes で.
Not部屋で猫がいる。
But部屋に猫がいる。
Where something exists takes に.
Not私もは行く。
But私も行く。
も replaces は; they do not stack.
Practise these with the tutorwith Pro
Check yourself
1 / 10
Fill the gap: "Who ate my pudding?"
だれ＿私のプリンを食べたの？
Answer
は: は marks something already known as the topic, and a question word is the unknown. だれは食べたの is not Japanese.
を: を would make だれ the object of 食べた, "ate whom", next to the pudding that is already its object.
も: だれも goes with a negative verb and means "nobody". It cannot ask a question.
が ✓: だれ is the subject and a question word, and a question word that is the subject always takes が: you are asking which person did it.
2 / 10
Fill the gap: "This is the photo my father took."
これは父＿撮った写真です。
Answer
は: は belongs to the whole sentence, and this one already has its topic, これ. A subject inside a clause that describes a noun takes が or の.
が ✓: 父 is the subject of the describing clause 父が撮った, "that my father took", so it takes が. の also works here: 父の撮った写真.
を: Grammatical, but it changes the meaning: 父を撮った写真 is a photo someone took of my father.
3 / 10
Fill the gap: "I like cats."
猫＿好きです。
Answer
を: を marks the object of a verb, and 好き is not a verb. You will hear を with 好き now and then, but the standard form, and the one to learn, is が.
に: に marks destinations, times and where something is. 好き never takes it for what is liked.
が ✓: 好き is a な-adjective, not a verb, so the thing liked is marked with が.
4 / 10
Fill the gap: "I eat lunch in the canteen."
食堂＿昼ご飯を食べます。
Answer
に: に marks where something is or where something goes. With an action verb like 食べる, 食堂に reads as if the canteen were a destination.
へ: へ marks the direction of a movement, and 食べる is not a movement.
を: を would make the canteen a second object of 食べる, next to 昼ご飯を: "eat the canteen".
で ✓: Eating is an action, so the place where it happens takes で.
5 / 10
Fill the gap: "There is a bank in front of the station."
駅の前＿銀行があります。
Answer
へ: へ marks the direction of a movement. Nothing moves in this sentence.
を: を marks an object or a route moved through, and ある takes neither.
で: で marks where an action happens, and ある here is not an action: it says the bank is there. (The exception is an event being held: 会議は三階であります, "the meeting is on the third floor".)
に ✓: ある says where something exists, and the place of existence takes に.
6 / 10
Your friend says she is going to the party. Say "My younger sister is going too."
妹＿行きます。
Answer
は: Grammatical, but it drops the "too" and sets your sister against others: as for my sister, she is going, as if someone else were not.
が: This singles your sister out as the one who is going, with no "too".
もは: も replaces は; the two never stack. One particle does the job: 妹も.
も ✓: も means "also" and takes the place of は or が.
7 / 10
Your manager asks who will phone the client. Answer "I will."
Answer
私は電話します。: "As for me, I'll call": this sets you against the others and leaves the question of who open. It does not answer "who?".
私も電話します。: This means "I'll call too", as if someone else had already said they would.
私が電話します。 ✓: The question was "who?", and the answer to a question word takes が, singling you out as the one.
8 / 10
Type the particle: "I get up at half past six every morning."
毎朝六時半＿起きます。
Answer
に
A clock time is a specific point in time, so it takes に. 毎朝, "every morning", is a relative time word and takes no particle.
9 / 10
Build the sentence.
“I study Japanese at the library.”
Answer
私は図書館で日本語を勉強します
The particles say who does what, so the order is free before the verb, but the topic usually comes first, the object sits next to its verb, and the verb always comes last.
10 / 10
Build the sentence, with a clause that describes the cake.
“This is the cake my older sister baked.”
Answer
これは姉が焼いたケーキです
A clause that describes a noun goes straight before it, with no word for "that". Its subject takes が, because the sentence's topic, これ, already has は.
Particles in Epsylo
Particles make the most sense in sentences you care about. Epsylo breaks a Japanese sentence down word by word and colours every particle by the job it does, with the case particles が, を, に and で in one shade and the topic particle は in another, so a topic and a subject never look alike. Each particle's card says which word it attaches to and why it is there rather than its neighbour: why this sentence has に and not で, or が and not は. Its politeness dial rewrites the same sentence through the registers of keigo, from plain forms to honorific speech.
Questions
- What is the difference between は (wa) and が (ga)?
- は marks the topic of the sentence, "as for X", and can add contrast. が marks the subject, especially when it is new or emphasised information. Question words always take が, and the subject of a clause that describes a noun takes が or の, never は.
- What is the difference between に (ni) and で (de)?
- に marks where something exists, where something goes, and specific times. で marks where an action takes place, and the means or tool used.
- What is the difference between に (ni) and へ (e)?
- Both mark a destination. へ stresses the direction, に the arrival, and with verbs of movement either works. Only に marks times and where something exists, and only へ can be followed by の: 友達への手紙, "a letter to a friend".
- Why does 象は鼻が長い have both は and が?
- は sets the topic, elephants, and が marks the subject of what is said about them, the nose: "as for elephants, their noses are long". A sentence can have a topic and a separate subject, and the pattern is common for describing a feature of something: 私は頭が痛い, "I have a headache".
- Can you leave particles out in Japanese?
- In casual speech, yes: は, が and を are often dropped (これ、おいしい; ご飯食べた？). に and で usually stay, because they carry meaning the sentence cannot recover without them. In writing and in polite speech, keep every particle.
- Why is the particle は pronounced wa?
- It is a historical spelling. Over the centuries, the sound written は shifted to wa in the middle of words. The spelling reform of 1946 respelled those words with わ, but kept は for the particle, so the particle is written は and read wa, while は is read ha everywhere else.
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