は / が

Indicate subjects by coming after them

Meanings: “is, am, are”

*one thing to know about は is that it’s not pronounced as “ha” but pronounced as “wa”

は emphasizes what comes after it

が emphasizes what comes before it

わたし は こういち です I am Koichi

わたし が こういち です I am Koichi

* The first example would be used when you’re introducing yourself to someone, the second one would be more like one of those movies where one person has the gun pointed at two identical targets, where they are saying “I am Koichi” and “No, I’m Koichi!” The important (emphasized) part is the I portion, so you’d use が.

Examples

わたし は がくせい です
i am a student (where は is “am” in this sentence)

あの がくせい は ばか です
That student is stupid

あなた は おもしろい です
You are interesting

なに が たべたい?
What is it that you want to eat?

すし が すき です
I like sushi / It is sushi that I like

の

The Possessive

Meanings: “Apostrophe S” & “of”

*Makes something possessive, like saying “my monkey”, “Jenny’s friend”, or “Bobby of Sony (i.e. Sony’s Bobby)”.

Examples:

わたし の なまえ は こういち です
My name is Koichi

ボッビーさん の いぬ です
It’s Bobby’s dog

も

Also / Too

Meanings: “also” and “too” – it can also emphasize “any”

Examples:

わたしも
Me too / Me also

ボッビーさん も アイキア に いきます
Bobby also will go to Ikea

なに も たべなかった
I didn’t eat anything

を

The Direct Object

How it’s used: All it does is shows what the direct object is. Used when you’re directly doing something (the verb) to something (the object).

Examples:

すし(object) を(particle) たべます(verb)
Eat sushi

わたし は Xbox を かいます
I will buy an X-Box

*Not used when you aren’t directly involved or responsible (i.e. “the radio is broken” vs “I broke the radio” – the second one uses を)

に

Movement and Time

How it’s used: Used to show what an action is directed to, and also shows destinations, directions, places and time. Remember, when you move you use your knees (“ni”)

Examples:

私は日本　に 行きます
I will go to Japan

３時　に すし　を たべます
At 3 o’clock I will eat sushi

*Some Movement Verbs: いきます、着ます、かえります、のぼります、はいります

へ

Emphasizing the Destination

How it’s used: This is a lot like the particle “ni” but emphasizes the destination. It’s more like “heading towards” than anything else (see examples below)

Examples:

日本　へ いきます
Heading towards Japan

で

Shows Context

Meanings: “By way of” / “at”

Examples:

くるま　で いきます
I went by car

わたし　は　レストラン　で たべた
I ate at the restaurant

か、と、や、ね、よ

“Other” Particles

か: Question marker – uesd on the end of a sentence to make a question, like a question mark!

と: Used to list nouns when you are listing everything and you know everything on the list.

や: Used to list nouns when you aren’t listing everything, and maybe there are other things not included.

ね: Sentence ender that gives an “isn’t it” feeling used to receive agreement for what you’re saying.

よ: Sentence ender that gives a “you know” feeling, often when relaying new information.