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{{Japanese characters}}
In [[Japanese grammar]], particles (''joshi'' 助詞) mostly function as prepositions, but as they always follow the words they mark, they can be referred to "post-positions". They can also function as conjunctions and interjections and are never inflected - they maintain their form, regardless of where in a sentence they appear.
They show the relationship of a word, phrase, or clause to the rest of the sentence; they can also add a meaning or nuance to that word. There are some particles with English equivalents; others functions in a similar manner to English prepositions; and there are also some uniquely Japanese particles, that are not found in English.
==Usage==
As with English, which participle you use where and when can have a significant impact on the meaning of the sentence. For example, in English saying, "I eat fish" is fairly straightforward. However, translating that directly into Japanese would give you "watashi sakana taberu" (I fish eat). As it stands, it has no real meaning and needs particles to be added to give it meaning. However, which particle you add can drastically change the meaning of the sentence. Examples are below, with the participle added in '''bold''':
* watashi '''wa''' sakana '''o''' taberu (I eat fish) - the original meaning), but
* watashi '''o''' sakana '''ga''' taberu (The fish eats me)
* watashi '''mo''' sakana '''o''' taberu (I, too, eat fish) - as if I am agreeing with somebody else
* watashi '''to''' sakana '''ga''' taberu (The fish and I eat) - implying we both eat "something"
Therefore, it is probably best to analyse the main particles (there are over 100, in various combinations) individually. Participles are always written in hiragana.
==Wa (は) and Ga (が)==
Before carrying on with these, it must be noted that although "wa" is pronounced "wa" when spoken, it is always written with the hiragana "ha" (は), even though hiragana does have a "wa" (わ). It is one of those idiosyncrasies of the language you will need to remember.
In simple terms, "wa" marks the topic of a sentence, while "ga" marks the subject. Whatever comes before "wa" is the topic of the sentence, which will be described by what follows "wa". This is similar to splitting an English sentence into its [[subject]] and predicate, although the topic is not always the subject in the English sense. "Ga", whilst doing much the same, links the word or phrase that precedes it to the adjective or verb that immediately follows it.
Using the sentence, "Zou '''wa''' hana '''ga''' nagai desu." (which translates directly as "(As for) the elephant (its) trunk (is) long (it is)", or simply as "The elephant's trunk is long), "wa" highlights the topic of the sentence (Elephant), from the commentary on the topic (its trunk is long), whilst "ga" in this case links ''hana'' (trunk) to the adjective which follows, ''nagain'' (long).
"Wa" can also be used more than once in a sentence, to highlight the topic of each clause within the sentence. For example, "<font color=red>Eigo</font> '''wa''' <font color=blue>muzukashii desu ga</font>, <font color=red>nihongo</font> '''wa''' <font color=blue>muzukashiku nai desu</font>." or "(As for) English (it) is difficult, but (as for) Japanese (it) is not difficult (it is)". In this case, the topics of the two clauses are "English" and "Japanese" respectively and the difference between the topic and the description of the topic, is indicated using <font color=red>red</font> and <font color=blue>blue</font> text.
Even if the adjective or verb following the topic is modified, "ga" is still used, as the relationship between the topic and the adjective is still one to one. Thus the sentences "<font color=red>Nigatsu ni yuki</font> '''ga''' <font color=blue>furimasu</font> (In February snow falls) and <font color=red>Nigatsu ni yuki</font> '''ga''' <font color=blue>yoku furimasu</font> (In February, snow often falls), the link is between "snow" and "falls".
"Ga" is also used for emphasis, where there is a need to distinguish a person or thing from all the others. It is a difficult concept to explain, as in English, this difference is often conveyed in the tone of voice being used.
To use an example, asking a group of children, "Who went to school?" would receive the reply, "Tom went to school.". Asking the question, "Which one of you went to school?" would probably receive the same response, but with higher pitched voices and fingers pointing to the unfortunate Tom, and if written, probably ending in an exclamation point, rather than a full stop.
In Japanese, however, this is conveyed by changing the "wa" to a "ga". Thus, "Who went to school?" would be answered by "Tomu '''wa''' gakkou ni ikimash<i></i>ita." (Tom went to school.) and "Which one of you went to school?" would be answered with, "Tomu '''ga''' gakkou ni ikimash<i></i>ita." (Tom is the one who went to school).
In addition, the subject of subordinate clauses in a sentence normally uses "ga", to indicate that the subordinate and main clauses have different subjects. Thus, in "Watashi '''wa''' Mika '''ga''' kekkon shi<i></i>ta koto o shiranakatta." (I did not know Mika was married), Mika is the subordinate subject.
Finally, in conversation, where a negative answer is required to a question, "ga" reverts to "wa". Thus "Sakana '''ga''' suki desu ka?" (Do you like fish?) is answered "Iie, sakana '''wa''' suki janai desu." (No, I do not like fish.)
==O (を)==
Another one to be wary of, although "o" is pronounced "o" ''(pronounced with a short "o!" rather than "oh")'' when spoken, it is always written with the hiragana "wo" (を), even though hiragana does have a "o" (お). It is one of those idiosyncrasies of the language you will need to remember.
"O" indicates the object of a verb. Whenever you hear "o" in a sentence, you will know that what preceeds it will be the object of the next verb that follows it. This verb can be an active, passive, or causative verb-form, but will always act on what precedes "o" in some manner.
Thus, "Kutsu '''o''' kaimashi<i></i>ta." literally means "(I) shoes bought".
One of the advantages of Japanese is that once the speakers understand the context in which a noun is being used, it can be omitted from the conversation. To use the example above, unless it is stated that somebody bought the shoes for me, it is clear that I bought the shoes and thus there is no need to add "Watashi wa..." to the beginning of the sentence.
Likewise, although a transitive verb always needs "something" to act on, if that "something" is understood within the context, it does not need to be spoken again. Thus, "Kare '''wa''' mou ie '''o''' demash<i></i>ita ka? ''(Has) he already left (the) house?''" can be answered with, "Hai, demash<i></i>ita. ''Yes, left''", as it is clear the question is referring to him leaving the house.
"O" is also used to indicate the direction of movement for verbs such as walk, run, turn, etc. Thus, "Basu '''wa''' toshokan '''no''' mae '''o''' toorimasu. ''Bus (the) library in front (of) passes''" (The bus passes in front of the library).
It also indicates a point of departure associated with verbs such as leave, get out, get off, etc. So, "I leave home at eight o'clock." would be "Hachi-ji '''ni''' ie '''o''' demasu. ''Eight o'clock house (I) leave.''"
==No (の)==
"No" can be called the "possessive-indicating particle" and indicates that what precedes it
characterises what follows it.
In its simplest form, "no" is similar to the English [[apostrophe|apostrophe-s]] ('s), and indicates ownership of something. For example, "Tanaka-san '''no''' hon" is "Miss Tanaka's book." It is also used to link two related nouns, for example "Japanese car" would be "Nihon '''no''' kuruma" or literally "car of Japan".
"No" can appear many times in a single sentence. However, one must remember that Japanese reverses the order of nouns, as opposed to English. Japanese nouns run from large to small, or from general to specific. So, you might say in English, "The names of the countries in Europe," in Japanese you would say "Yooroppa '''no''' kuni '''no''' namae." (Europe's countries' names).
Japanese has no possessive personal pronouns (his, hers, theirs, etc), but forms these by adding "no" to the pronoun. Thus you get:
* ''watashi'' (I) becomes ''watashi '''no''''' (my)
* ''atashi'' (I (fem)) becomes ''atashi '''no''''' (my (fem))
* ''boku'' (I (male)) becomes ''boku '''no''''' (my (male))
* ''kare'' (he) becomes ''kare '''no''''' (his)
* ''kanojo'' (her) becomes ''kanojo '''no''''' (hers)
* ''karera'' (they) becomes ''karera '''no''''' (their)
* ''atashi<I></I>tati'' (we (fem)) becomes ''atash<I></I>itachi '''no''''' (our (fem))
* ''bokutati'' (we (male)) becomes ''bokutati '''no''''' (our (male))
* ''anata'' (you) becomes ''anata '''no''''' (your)
* ''wareware'' (we) becomes ''wareware '''no''''' (our)
"No" is also used to indicate objective pronouns, which do not exist in Japanese. The usage is the same as above, although the meaning differs. Thus, to say "Behind him" in Japanese, you would say "kare '''no''' ushiro", but in this case, "kare no" means "him" and not "his".
Finally, Japanese does not use articles (a, the, an, etc.), but instead uses "no" to indicate location, where English would use "the". Thus "behind the car" would be "kuruma no ushiro". This could be translated literally as "behind of (the) car."
==Ni (に)==
"Ni" can be said to be the "direction indicating particle" and its function is to indicate towards whom or what the action of the verb is directed. However, it is simply a structural particle, and although in certain cases can replicate the use of the English "to", "in", "at", or "on", it has no meaning on its own.
"Ni" can be used as the English "to" when indicating a destination, as in "going to...", thus "I am going to New York next year," is "Rainen Nyu-yoku '''ni''' ikimasu. (Next year New York (to) am going.)"
It indicates the location where something is (or literally "exists" in Japanese), and takes on the same role performed by "at", "in", or "on". So "Watashi '''wa''' Toukyou '''ni''' sunde imasu." means "(As for) me, Tokyo (in) live," or "I live in Tokyo." Likewise "Teburu '''no''' ue '''ni''' okimash<i></i>ita." combines "Teburu '''no''' ue" (top of the table) with the action of placing something "on" it, "'''ni''' okimash<i></i>ita".
"Ni" also indicates the indirect object within a sentence, which usually precedes a direct object. For example, "Kare '''wa''' watashi '''ni''' hon o kuremashi<i></i>ta." which translates directly as "(As for) he, me (to) a book gave", or more sensibly, "He gave me a book." Here "I" is the indirect object and "a book" is the direct object.
It is also used to indicate specific time periods (but not concepts such as "today" or "tomorrow") and takes on the same usage as the English "at", "on" or "in". Using an example from above "Hachi-ji '''ni''' ie '''o''' demasu," we get "Eight o'clock (at) house (I) leave" or "I leave home at eight o'clock".
Two final uses are at the base of a verb, which is followed by another verb that indicates the purpose of the action. Thus, "Hon '''o''' kai '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita" (Book Buy Went) has "ni" linking "went" and the reason I went, "to buy". It also approximates the use of the English "per" (per hour, per day), so to say "They pay us twenty dollars per hour," you would say "Ichi-jikan '''ni''' nijuu-doru haratte kuremasu. (One-hour (per) twenty dollars they pay)"
==E (へ)==
Another one to be wary of, although "e" is spoken as "e" (pronounced as "eh" rather than "ee") when spoken, it is always written with the hiragana "he" (へ), even though hiragana does have a "e" (え). It is one of those idiosyncrasies of the language you will need to remember.
"E" indicates that what precedes it is the destination or direction towards which the action that follows it moves. It can be used interchangeably with the particle "ni" in this usage, although the general rule is to use "e" to indicate a place one has been in the past, and "ni" to indicate a place you are going to in the future. Thus:
* Rainen Nyu-yoku '''ni''' ikimasu. (Next year I am going to New York), and
* Sengetsu Kyouto '''e''' ikimash<i></i>ita. (Last month I went to Kyoto)
This is the only occasion where "e" and "ni" can be interchanged, so you would never say "Isu '''e''' suwatte imasu." for "I am sitting on the chair" (Isu '''ni''' suwatte imasu), otherwise you are saying, "I am sitting to the chair."
Another example of the difference between "e" and "ni" is when used with the verb "irassharu" ("to be somewhere", "to go", or "to come"). As "ni" always follows the place where a person "exists", saying "Doko '''ni''' irasshaimasu ka?" means "Where is he?", but because "e" specifies a destination or direction, saying "Doko '''e''' irasshaimasu ka?" means "Where are you going?"
==Ba (ば)==
"Ba" is used to present a condition, that would result in the clause that follows. It can be approximated by the English "if". For example, "Ima dekakere '''ba''' maniai masu yo" translates as "If you leave now, you will make it in time."
It also shows a cause-and-effect relationship, indicating "when something happens, then" rather than "if". Thus, "When there is a vivid sunset, the next day will be clear." translates as "Yuyake ni nare '''ba''' yokujitsu wa tenki ni naru."
Another use is to indicate the topic which will be discussed in the next clause, something akin to saying "speaking of..." or "in terms of..." If I wanted to recommend a good sushi restaurant, I could say "Osushi nara '''ba''' mise ga oishii desu yo", which means "Speaking (or "in terms") of sushi, that restaurant is a good one."
==De (で)==
If the particle "o" can be said to indicate "what" a verb's action acts on, then "de" indicates "where" (a place or location) the action occurs and approximates the English "in", "at", or "on". It can also indicate "how" an action is performed, either the means by which it is performed, or what is used to perform the action and is similar to the English "by", "with", or "by means of".
To use an example, if I go for a swim in the sea, then the action is "to swim" and the place where it happens is "the sea", which results in the sentence "Umi '''de''' oyoida" (Sea (in) swim). Or if I am in a taxi and need to stop at the next corner, that is where the action is going to occur, so I would say, "Tsugi '''no''' kado '''de''' tomete kudasai", meaning lierally, "The corner that is next (''Tsugi '''no''' kado'') (do) stop (do this) for me please."
Similarly, in the sentence, "Shinkansen '''de''' Oosaka '''e''' ikimash<i></i>ita." (I went by Bullet Train to Osaka" the action of my going to Osaka was performed by the Bullet Train. If I was going to use the Bullet Train at some point in future to go to Osaka, then I would say "Shinkansen '''de''' Oosaka '''ni''' ikimasu. (I am going by Bullet Train to Osaka).
"De" also qualifies an amount or a period of time, indicating that the amount or period indicated should be the maximum required. So, "Zenbu '''de''' senjuu-en desu," means "Together they cost thirty yen" and "Ichi-jikan '''de''' ikemasu" means 'I can be there in one hour."
"De" is used to quantify things which are the largest, biggest, most, etc. , so "Tokyo is the largest city in the world," becomes "Toukyou-shi '''wa''' sekai '''de''' ichiban ookii desu. (Tokyo-city (in) the world most large it is.)"
==Ka (か)==
The function of "ka" is to indicate that a question is being asked, or that alternatives are being offered. To convert a sentence into a question, "ka" is simply added to the end to the sentence - nothing else changes.
So, "Kare '''wa''' amerikan desu" means "He is American.", while "Kare '''wa''' amerikan desu '''ka'''" means "Is he American?"
"Ka" is added after various alternatives in a sentence, indicating that a choice needs to be made, and basically serves the function of the English "or". Thus, "Kore '''ka''', sore '''ka''', dotchika erande '''yo'''," means "This or that, choose one of them now."
Adding a "ka" after interrogative words changes their specific meanings to indefinite meanings. So if "doko" means "where", then "doko ka" is the more vague "somewhere". The difference between the two is the same as asking "Where did you go yesterday?" (Kinou doko '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita '''ka''') and "Did you go somewhere yesterday?" (Kinou '''doko ka''' '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita '''ka''').
In informal conversation, "ka" is sometimes expanded to "kana" (かな), which can be translated as "I wonder," or "I guess." If you were wondering who somebody is, but were not quite sure, you could ask, "Ano hito '''wa''' dare '''kana'''." (That person who I wonder). Drawing out the "na", indicates less certainty in what you are speculating about. "Kashira" (かしら) means the same as "kana", but is only used by women.
==To (と) & Ya (や)==
"To" (pronounced "toh" rather than "toe") is the connecting particle, much like the English "and", although it only connects nouns and pronouns, never phrases and clauses. For example, "Dogs and cats" would be "inu '''to''' neko".
It also connects the speaker with somebody else that they did something with, much like the English "together with". "I went to watch a film together with her" would translate as "kinou kanojo '''to''' eiga '''o''' mi '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita. (Yesterday she (and I) film see went)"
"To" is commonly used to connect something that is quoted or thought by yourself or someone else, with the verb (usually "iu" (say), "omou" (think), or "kangaeru" (consider)) that follows, or if what follows a verb or an adjective is a condition. Here it adopts the English use of "as soon as", "when", or "if". Examples are:
* "Kare '''wa''' ikitaku nai '''to''' iimash<i.</i>ita." - He said he did not want to go (he not want go said)
* "Ano mise '''ni''' iku '''to''' oishii sushi '''ga''' taberareru." - If you go to that restaurant, you can eat delicious sushi (that restaurant go to (if) delicious sushi eat)
Finally, "to" indicates where an onomatopoeic adverb has been used. Japanese has the quaint mannerism of not just telling you the stars were twinkling, or her heart was beating, but will add in "kare-kare" (for twinkle) or "doki-doki" (for heartbeat) as well as the verb. These are usually written in katakana. For example, "me '''ga''' pika-pika '''to''' kirameita", means "(Her) eyes were "sparkle-sparkle" sparkling."
"Ya" is much the same as "to" in that it is used to link one or more nouns, except that it is much more vague and it implies that there may be other things that are unlisted, or that not all items in the list may apply. It is much the same as saying "Etcetera, etcetera" in English.
In this case, "Kutsu '''ya''' shatsu o kau", translates as "Buy (things like) shoes, shirt, etc."
==Ne (ね)==
"Ne" is a sentence-ending (and one phrase-ending) participle.
"Ne" (pronounced "neh", not "knee") is used to confirm a statement, or to invite agreement from the listener. It's use is something akin to the English "Right?" or "Don't you think so?". If you wanted to ask "You will be ok, right?, you would say "Daijoubu, '''ne'''." However, you are affirming to the person that they will be ok, not asking if they are ok. In the latter case, you would ask "Daijoubu desu '''ka'''?"
It also appears in the common phrase "Sou desu ne" which translates as "Well..." or "Hmmm..." and often starts a direct reply, but is used to soften the reply, or to indicate that you are thinking about what was said. "Sou desu ne kare no kutu wa ookii desu ne." means "Hmmm... his shoes are big, aren't they?"
The "ne" at the end of a sentence can also be stretched, "nee", to indicate surprise or astonishment. If something really amazes you, you could say "Sugoi nee!"
==Yo (よ)==
"Yo" is another articiple whose function is to end a sentence, but whilst "ne" seeks confirmation of what was said, "yo" add emphasis to what preceded it. It is essentially a spoken, or written, exclamation point.
If I was leaving somewhere to go home, I would simply say, "Watashi '''wa''' kaeru." But if I was not having a good time where I was and had finally had enough, I would likely say, "Watashi '''wa''' kaeru yo", which means "I am going home!"
==Mo (も)==
"Mo" replaces the topic-indicating particle "wa", and indicates that what precedes it is in addition to other things or people, much like the Enlish "also" or "too". The simplest example is comparing "Watashi '''wa'''" (Me) to "Watashi '''mo'''" (Me too) - the use of "mo" automatically indicates that "watashi" is now part of a larger group.
It is also added to interrogative words, expanding their meaning to encompass something greater. Thus:
* dare (who) becomes dare '''mo''' (everybody; or nobody, if used before a negative)
* nani (what) becomes nani '''mo''' (everything; or nothing, if used before a negative)
* doko (where) becomes doko '''mo''' (everywhere, or nowhere, if used before a negative)
* itu (when) becomes itu '''mo''' (always, or never, if used before a negative)
One thing to be careful of is remembering that "mo" always implies one more item than what is being spoken about. Thus you can say "Kanojo '''wa''' Eigo '''mo''' dekimasu." (She also speaks English) because by implication the "also" means that you knw she already speaks one other language. Doubling up the "mo" to say "Kanojo '''wa''' Nihongo '''mo''' Eigo '''mo''' dekimasu." does ''not''' mean "She speaks Japanese and English", but rather "She also speaks Japanese and also speaks English..." as well as one other unmentioned language.
"Kanojo '''wa''' Nihongo '''to''' Eigo dekimasu," would say "She speaks Japanese and English."
[[category:Japanese]]
In [[Japanese grammar]], particles (''joshi'' 助詞) mostly function as prepositions, but as they always follow the words they mark, they can be referred to "post-positions". They can also function as conjunctions and interjections and are never inflected - they maintain their form, regardless of where in a sentence they appear.
They show the relationship of a word, phrase, or clause to the rest of the sentence; they can also add a meaning or nuance to that word. There are some particles with English equivalents; others functions in a similar manner to English prepositions; and there are also some uniquely Japanese particles, that are not found in English.
==Usage==
As with English, which participle you use where and when can have a significant impact on the meaning of the sentence. For example, in English saying, "I eat fish" is fairly straightforward. However, translating that directly into Japanese would give you "watashi sakana taberu" (I fish eat). As it stands, it has no real meaning and needs particles to be added to give it meaning. However, which particle you add can drastically change the meaning of the sentence. Examples are below, with the participle added in '''bold''':
* watashi '''wa''' sakana '''o''' taberu (I eat fish) - the original meaning), but
* watashi '''o''' sakana '''ga''' taberu (The fish eats me)
* watashi '''mo''' sakana '''o''' taberu (I, too, eat fish) - as if I am agreeing with somebody else
* watashi '''to''' sakana '''ga''' taberu (The fish and I eat) - implying we both eat "something"
Therefore, it is probably best to analyse the main particles (there are over 100, in various combinations) individually. Participles are always written in hiragana.
==Wa (は) and Ga (が)==
Before carrying on with these, it must be noted that although "wa" is pronounced "wa" when spoken, it is always written with the hiragana "ha" (は), even though hiragana does have a "wa" (わ). It is one of those idiosyncrasies of the language you will need to remember.
In simple terms, "wa" marks the topic of a sentence, while "ga" marks the subject. Whatever comes before "wa" is the topic of the sentence, which will be described by what follows "wa". This is similar to splitting an English sentence into its [[subject]] and predicate, although the topic is not always the subject in the English sense. "Ga", whilst doing much the same, links the word or phrase that precedes it to the adjective or verb that immediately follows it.
Using the sentence, "Zou '''wa''' hana '''ga''' nagai desu." (which translates directly as "(As for) the elephant (its) trunk (is) long (it is)", or simply as "The elephant's trunk is long), "wa" highlights the topic of the sentence (Elephant), from the commentary on the topic (its trunk is long), whilst "ga" in this case links ''hana'' (trunk) to the adjective which follows, ''nagain'' (long).
"Wa" can also be used more than once in a sentence, to highlight the topic of each clause within the sentence. For example, "<font color=red>Eigo</font> '''wa''' <font color=blue>muzukashii desu ga</font>, <font color=red>nihongo</font> '''wa''' <font color=blue>muzukashiku nai desu</font>." or "(As for) English (it) is difficult, but (as for) Japanese (it) is not difficult (it is)". In this case, the topics of the two clauses are "English" and "Japanese" respectively and the difference between the topic and the description of the topic, is indicated using <font color=red>red</font> and <font color=blue>blue</font> text.
Even if the adjective or verb following the topic is modified, "ga" is still used, as the relationship between the topic and the adjective is still one to one. Thus the sentences "<font color=red>Nigatsu ni yuki</font> '''ga''' <font color=blue>furimasu</font> (In February snow falls) and <font color=red>Nigatsu ni yuki</font> '''ga''' <font color=blue>yoku furimasu</font> (In February, snow often falls), the link is between "snow" and "falls".
"Ga" is also used for emphasis, where there is a need to distinguish a person or thing from all the others. It is a difficult concept to explain, as in English, this difference is often conveyed in the tone of voice being used.
To use an example, asking a group of children, "Who went to school?" would receive the reply, "Tom went to school.". Asking the question, "Which one of you went to school?" would probably receive the same response, but with higher pitched voices and fingers pointing to the unfortunate Tom, and if written, probably ending in an exclamation point, rather than a full stop.
In Japanese, however, this is conveyed by changing the "wa" to a "ga". Thus, "Who went to school?" would be answered by "Tomu '''wa''' gakkou ni ikimash<i></i>ita." (Tom went to school.) and "Which one of you went to school?" would be answered with, "Tomu '''ga''' gakkou ni ikimash<i></i>ita." (Tom is the one who went to school).
In addition, the subject of subordinate clauses in a sentence normally uses "ga", to indicate that the subordinate and main clauses have different subjects. Thus, in "Watashi '''wa''' Mika '''ga''' kekkon shi<i></i>ta koto o shiranakatta." (I did not know Mika was married), Mika is the subordinate subject.
Finally, in conversation, where a negative answer is required to a question, "ga" reverts to "wa". Thus "Sakana '''ga''' suki desu ka?" (Do you like fish?) is answered "Iie, sakana '''wa''' suki janai desu." (No, I do not like fish.)
==O (を)==
Another one to be wary of, although "o" is pronounced "o" ''(pronounced with a short "o!" rather than "oh")'' when spoken, it is always written with the hiragana "wo" (を), even though hiragana does have a "o" (お). It is one of those idiosyncrasies of the language you will need to remember.
"O" indicates the object of a verb. Whenever you hear "o" in a sentence, you will know that what preceeds it will be the object of the next verb that follows it. This verb can be an active, passive, or causative verb-form, but will always act on what precedes "o" in some manner.
Thus, "Kutsu '''o''' kaimashi<i></i>ta." literally means "(I) shoes bought".
One of the advantages of Japanese is that once the speakers understand the context in which a noun is being used, it can be omitted from the conversation. To use the example above, unless it is stated that somebody bought the shoes for me, it is clear that I bought the shoes and thus there is no need to add "Watashi wa..." to the beginning of the sentence.
Likewise, although a transitive verb always needs "something" to act on, if that "something" is understood within the context, it does not need to be spoken again. Thus, "Kare '''wa''' mou ie '''o''' demash<i></i>ita ka? ''(Has) he already left (the) house?''" can be answered with, "Hai, demash<i></i>ita. ''Yes, left''", as it is clear the question is referring to him leaving the house.
"O" is also used to indicate the direction of movement for verbs such as walk, run, turn, etc. Thus, "Basu '''wa''' toshokan '''no''' mae '''o''' toorimasu. ''Bus (the) library in front (of) passes''" (The bus passes in front of the library).
It also indicates a point of departure associated with verbs such as leave, get out, get off, etc. So, "I leave home at eight o'clock." would be "Hachi-ji '''ni''' ie '''o''' demasu. ''Eight o'clock house (I) leave.''"
==No (の)==
"No" can be called the "possessive-indicating particle" and indicates that what precedes it
characterises what follows it.
In its simplest form, "no" is similar to the English [[apostrophe|apostrophe-s]] ('s), and indicates ownership of something. For example, "Tanaka-san '''no''' hon" is "Miss Tanaka's book." It is also used to link two related nouns, for example "Japanese car" would be "Nihon '''no''' kuruma" or literally "car of Japan".
"No" can appear many times in a single sentence. However, one must remember that Japanese reverses the order of nouns, as opposed to English. Japanese nouns run from large to small, or from general to specific. So, you might say in English, "The names of the countries in Europe," in Japanese you would say "Yooroppa '''no''' kuni '''no''' namae." (Europe's countries' names).
Japanese has no possessive personal pronouns (his, hers, theirs, etc), but forms these by adding "no" to the pronoun. Thus you get:
* ''watashi'' (I) becomes ''watashi '''no''''' (my)
* ''atashi'' (I (fem)) becomes ''atashi '''no''''' (my (fem))
* ''boku'' (I (male)) becomes ''boku '''no''''' (my (male))
* ''kare'' (he) becomes ''kare '''no''''' (his)
* ''kanojo'' (her) becomes ''kanojo '''no''''' (hers)
* ''karera'' (they) becomes ''karera '''no''''' (their)
* ''atashi<I></I>tati'' (we (fem)) becomes ''atash<I></I>itachi '''no''''' (our (fem))
* ''bokutati'' (we (male)) becomes ''bokutati '''no''''' (our (male))
* ''anata'' (you) becomes ''anata '''no''''' (your)
* ''wareware'' (we) becomes ''wareware '''no''''' (our)
"No" is also used to indicate objective pronouns, which do not exist in Japanese. The usage is the same as above, although the meaning differs. Thus, to say "Behind him" in Japanese, you would say "kare '''no''' ushiro", but in this case, "kare no" means "him" and not "his".
Finally, Japanese does not use articles (a, the, an, etc.), but instead uses "no" to indicate location, where English would use "the". Thus "behind the car" would be "kuruma no ushiro". This could be translated literally as "behind of (the) car."
==Ni (に)==
"Ni" can be said to be the "direction indicating particle" and its function is to indicate towards whom or what the action of the verb is directed. However, it is simply a structural particle, and although in certain cases can replicate the use of the English "to", "in", "at", or "on", it has no meaning on its own.
"Ni" can be used as the English "to" when indicating a destination, as in "going to...", thus "I am going to New York next year," is "Rainen Nyu-yoku '''ni''' ikimasu. (Next year New York (to) am going.)"
It indicates the location where something is (or literally "exists" in Japanese), and takes on the same role performed by "at", "in", or "on". So "Watashi '''wa''' Toukyou '''ni''' sunde imasu." means "(As for) me, Tokyo (in) live," or "I live in Tokyo." Likewise "Teburu '''no''' ue '''ni''' okimash<i></i>ita." combines "Teburu '''no''' ue" (top of the table) with the action of placing something "on" it, "'''ni''' okimash<i></i>ita".
"Ni" also indicates the indirect object within a sentence, which usually precedes a direct object. For example, "Kare '''wa''' watashi '''ni''' hon o kuremashi<i></i>ta." which translates directly as "(As for) he, me (to) a book gave", or more sensibly, "He gave me a book." Here "I" is the indirect object and "a book" is the direct object.
It is also used to indicate specific time periods (but not concepts such as "today" or "tomorrow") and takes on the same usage as the English "at", "on" or "in". Using an example from above "Hachi-ji '''ni''' ie '''o''' demasu," we get "Eight o'clock (at) house (I) leave" or "I leave home at eight o'clock".
Two final uses are at the base of a verb, which is followed by another verb that indicates the purpose of the action. Thus, "Hon '''o''' kai '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita" (Book Buy Went) has "ni" linking "went" and the reason I went, "to buy". It also approximates the use of the English "per" (per hour, per day), so to say "They pay us twenty dollars per hour," you would say "Ichi-jikan '''ni''' nijuu-doru haratte kuremasu. (One-hour (per) twenty dollars they pay)"
==E (へ)==
Another one to be wary of, although "e" is spoken as "e" (pronounced as "eh" rather than "ee") when spoken, it is always written with the hiragana "he" (へ), even though hiragana does have a "e" (え). It is one of those idiosyncrasies of the language you will need to remember.
"E" indicates that what precedes it is the destination or direction towards which the action that follows it moves. It can be used interchangeably with the particle "ni" in this usage, although the general rule is to use "e" to indicate a place one has been in the past, and "ni" to indicate a place you are going to in the future. Thus:
* Rainen Nyu-yoku '''ni''' ikimasu. (Next year I am going to New York), and
* Sengetsu Kyouto '''e''' ikimash<i></i>ita. (Last month I went to Kyoto)
This is the only occasion where "e" and "ni" can be interchanged, so you would never say "Isu '''e''' suwatte imasu." for "I am sitting on the chair" (Isu '''ni''' suwatte imasu), otherwise you are saying, "I am sitting to the chair."
Another example of the difference between "e" and "ni" is when used with the verb "irassharu" ("to be somewhere", "to go", or "to come"). As "ni" always follows the place where a person "exists", saying "Doko '''ni''' irasshaimasu ka?" means "Where is he?", but because "e" specifies a destination or direction, saying "Doko '''e''' irasshaimasu ka?" means "Where are you going?"
==Ba (ば)==
"Ba" is used to present a condition, that would result in the clause that follows. It can be approximated by the English "if". For example, "Ima dekakere '''ba''' maniai masu yo" translates as "If you leave now, you will make it in time."
It also shows a cause-and-effect relationship, indicating "when something happens, then" rather than "if". Thus, "When there is a vivid sunset, the next day will be clear." translates as "Yuyake ni nare '''ba''' yokujitsu wa tenki ni naru."
Another use is to indicate the topic which will be discussed in the next clause, something akin to saying "speaking of..." or "in terms of..." If I wanted to recommend a good sushi restaurant, I could say "Osushi nara '''ba''' mise ga oishii desu yo", which means "Speaking (or "in terms") of sushi, that restaurant is a good one."
==De (で)==
If the particle "o" can be said to indicate "what" a verb's action acts on, then "de" indicates "where" (a place or location) the action occurs and approximates the English "in", "at", or "on". It can also indicate "how" an action is performed, either the means by which it is performed, or what is used to perform the action and is similar to the English "by", "with", or "by means of".
To use an example, if I go for a swim in the sea, then the action is "to swim" and the place where it happens is "the sea", which results in the sentence "Umi '''de''' oyoida" (Sea (in) swim). Or if I am in a taxi and need to stop at the next corner, that is where the action is going to occur, so I would say, "Tsugi '''no''' kado '''de''' tomete kudasai", meaning lierally, "The corner that is next (''Tsugi '''no''' kado'') (do) stop (do this) for me please."
Similarly, in the sentence, "Shinkansen '''de''' Oosaka '''e''' ikimash<i></i>ita." (I went by Bullet Train to Osaka" the action of my going to Osaka was performed by the Bullet Train. If I was going to use the Bullet Train at some point in future to go to Osaka, then I would say "Shinkansen '''de''' Oosaka '''ni''' ikimasu. (I am going by Bullet Train to Osaka).
"De" also qualifies an amount or a period of time, indicating that the amount or period indicated should be the maximum required. So, "Zenbu '''de''' senjuu-en desu," means "Together they cost thirty yen" and "Ichi-jikan '''de''' ikemasu" means 'I can be there in one hour."
"De" is used to quantify things which are the largest, biggest, most, etc. , so "Tokyo is the largest city in the world," becomes "Toukyou-shi '''wa''' sekai '''de''' ichiban ookii desu. (Tokyo-city (in) the world most large it is.)"
==Ka (か)==
The function of "ka" is to indicate that a question is being asked, or that alternatives are being offered. To convert a sentence into a question, "ka" is simply added to the end to the sentence - nothing else changes.
So, "Kare '''wa''' amerikan desu" means "He is American.", while "Kare '''wa''' amerikan desu '''ka'''" means "Is he American?"
"Ka" is added after various alternatives in a sentence, indicating that a choice needs to be made, and basically serves the function of the English "or". Thus, "Kore '''ka''', sore '''ka''', dotchika erande '''yo'''," means "This or that, choose one of them now."
Adding a "ka" after interrogative words changes their specific meanings to indefinite meanings. So if "doko" means "where", then "doko ka" is the more vague "somewhere". The difference between the two is the same as asking "Where did you go yesterday?" (Kinou doko '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita '''ka''') and "Did you go somewhere yesterday?" (Kinou '''doko ka''' '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita '''ka''').
In informal conversation, "ka" is sometimes expanded to "kana" (かな), which can be translated as "I wonder," or "I guess." If you were wondering who somebody is, but were not quite sure, you could ask, "Ano hito '''wa''' dare '''kana'''." (That person who I wonder). Drawing out the "na", indicates less certainty in what you are speculating about. "Kashira" (かしら) means the same as "kana", but is only used by women.
==To (と) & Ya (や)==
"To" (pronounced "toh" rather than "toe") is the connecting particle, much like the English "and", although it only connects nouns and pronouns, never phrases and clauses. For example, "Dogs and cats" would be "inu '''to''' neko".
It also connects the speaker with somebody else that they did something with, much like the English "together with". "I went to watch a film together with her" would translate as "kinou kanojo '''to''' eiga '''o''' mi '''ni''' ikimash<i></i>ita. (Yesterday she (and I) film see went)"
"To" is commonly used to connect something that is quoted or thought by yourself or someone else, with the verb (usually "iu" (say), "omou" (think), or "kangaeru" (consider)) that follows, or if what follows a verb or an adjective is a condition. Here it adopts the English use of "as soon as", "when", or "if". Examples are:
* "Kare '''wa''' ikitaku nai '''to''' iimash<i.</i>ita." - He said he did not want to go (he not want go said)
* "Ano mise '''ni''' iku '''to''' oishii sushi '''ga''' taberareru." - If you go to that restaurant, you can eat delicious sushi (that restaurant go to (if) delicious sushi eat)
Finally, "to" indicates where an onomatopoeic adverb has been used. Japanese has the quaint mannerism of not just telling you the stars were twinkling, or her heart was beating, but will add in "kare-kare" (for twinkle) or "doki-doki" (for heartbeat) as well as the verb. These are usually written in katakana. For example, "me '''ga''' pika-pika '''to''' kirameita", means "(Her) eyes were "sparkle-sparkle" sparkling."
"Ya" is much the same as "to" in that it is used to link one or more nouns, except that it is much more vague and it implies that there may be other things that are unlisted, or that not all items in the list may apply. It is much the same as saying "Etcetera, etcetera" in English.
In this case, "Kutsu '''ya''' shatsu o kau", translates as "Buy (things like) shoes, shirt, etc."
==Ne (ね)==
"Ne" is a sentence-ending (and one phrase-ending) participle.
"Ne" (pronounced "neh", not "knee") is used to confirm a statement, or to invite agreement from the listener. It's use is something akin to the English "Right?" or "Don't you think so?". If you wanted to ask "You will be ok, right?, you would say "Daijoubu, '''ne'''." However, you are affirming to the person that they will be ok, not asking if they are ok. In the latter case, you would ask "Daijoubu desu '''ka'''?"
It also appears in the common phrase "Sou desu ne" which translates as "Well..." or "Hmmm..." and often starts a direct reply, but is used to soften the reply, or to indicate that you are thinking about what was said. "Sou desu ne kare no kutu wa ookii desu ne." means "Hmmm... his shoes are big, aren't they?"
The "ne" at the end of a sentence can also be stretched, "nee", to indicate surprise or astonishment. If something really amazes you, you could say "Sugoi nee!"
==Yo (よ)==
"Yo" is another articiple whose function is to end a sentence, but whilst "ne" seeks confirmation of what was said, "yo" add emphasis to what preceded it. It is essentially a spoken, or written, exclamation point.
If I was leaving somewhere to go home, I would simply say, "Watashi '''wa''' kaeru." But if I was not having a good time where I was and had finally had enough, I would likely say, "Watashi '''wa''' kaeru yo", which means "I am going home!"
==Mo (も)==
"Mo" replaces the topic-indicating particle "wa", and indicates that what precedes it is in addition to other things or people, much like the Enlish "also" or "too". The simplest example is comparing "Watashi '''wa'''" (Me) to "Watashi '''mo'''" (Me too) - the use of "mo" automatically indicates that "watashi" is now part of a larger group.
It is also added to interrogative words, expanding their meaning to encompass something greater. Thus:
* dare (who) becomes dare '''mo''' (everybody; or nobody, if used before a negative)
* nani (what) becomes nani '''mo''' (everything; or nothing, if used before a negative)
* doko (where) becomes doko '''mo''' (everywhere, or nowhere, if used before a negative)
* itu (when) becomes itu '''mo''' (always, or never, if used before a negative)
One thing to be careful of is remembering that "mo" always implies one more item than what is being spoken about. Thus you can say "Kanojo '''wa''' Eigo '''mo''' dekimasu." (She also speaks English) because by implication the "also" means that you knw she already speaks one other language. Doubling up the "mo" to say "Kanojo '''wa''' Nihongo '''mo''' Eigo '''mo''' dekimasu." does ''not''' mean "She speaks Japanese and English", but rather "She also speaks Japanese and also speaks English..." as well as one other unmentioned language.
"Kanojo '''wa''' Nihongo '''to''' Eigo dekimasu," would say "She speaks Japanese and English."
[[category:Japanese]]