🇯🇵 JAPANESE · N5 GRAMMAR
Grammar 03 — Core Particles: は, が, も
は・が・も · Wa · Ga · Mo
Grammar Explanation & Practice
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📋 Formation Reference — Core Particles: は, が, も
How to form and use the three most fundamental particles. Press ▶ to hear examples.
PARTICLE OVERVIEW
| Particle | Function | Pattern | Example | ▶ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| は (wa) | Topic marker | [TOPIC] は [comment] |
わたしは がくせいです Watashi wa gakusei desu |
|
| が (ga) | Subject marker | [SUBJECT] が [predicate] |
ねこが います Neko ga imasu |
|
| も (mo) | Also/too | [NOUN] も [same comment] |
わたしも がくせいです Watashi mo gakusei desu |
は vs が — KEY PATTERNS
[TOPIC]
は
[comment]
[topic]
wa
[comment]
→ "As for [TOPIC], [comment]." (Known/old information)
[SUBJECT]
が
[predicate]
[subject]
ga
[predicate]
→ "[SUBJECT] does [predicate]." (New information/emphasis)
🗣 Example Sentences
See how は, が, and も work in context. Press ▶ to hear each sentence.
は — TOPIC MARKER
Example
わたしは たなかです。
Watashi wa Tanaka desu.
I am Tanaka.
[TOPIC]
は
[identity]
です
[topic]
wa
[identity]
desu
→ "As for [TOPIC], [identity]."
Example
コーヒーは すきですが、おちゃは すきじゃないです。
Koohii wa suki desu ga, ocha wa suki ja nai desu.
I like coffee, but I don't like tea.
[A]
は
[X]
が、
[B]
は
[Y]
[A]
wa
[X]
ga,
[B]
wa
[Y]
→ "A is X, but B is Y." (Contrastive は)
Example
あのレストランは おいしいですが、たかいです。
Ano resutoran wa oishii desu ga, takai desu.
That restaurant is delicious, but expensive.
が — SUBJECT MARKER
Example
だれが きましたか。
Dare ga kimashita ka.
Who came?
だれ／なに
が
[VERB]
dare / nani
ga
[verb]
→ が for questions about the subject
Example
たなかさんが きました。
Tanaka-san ga kimashita.
Tanaka came. (answering "who came?")
Example
この へやに ねこが います。
Kono heya ni neko ga imasu.
There is a cat in this room.
Example
にほんごが すきです。
Nihongo ga suki desu.
I like Japanese. (が with すき, not を)
も — ALSO/TOO & NOTHING/NOBODY
Example
わたしも にほんごを べんきょうしています。
Watashi mo nihongo wo benkyou shite imasu.
I also study Japanese.
Example
なにも ありません。
Nani mo arimasen.
There is nothing.
Example
だれも いません。
Dare mo imasen.
Nobody is here.
は = Old Info, が = New Info
✅ CORRECT
だれが きましたか。→ たなかさんが きました。
Dare ga kimashita ka. → Tanaka-san ga kimashita.
Who came? → Tanaka came.
が marks new information (the answer)
✅ CORRECT
たなかさんは どこに いますか。
Tanaka-san wa doko ni imasu ka.
Where is Tanaka?
は marks known topic (we know who, asking where)
Contrastive は
✅ CORRECT
にくは すきですが、さかなは すきじゃないです。
Niku wa suki desu ga, sakana wa suki ja nai desu.
I like meat, but I don't like fish.
は used twice to contrast meat vs fish
📝 NOTE
This contrastive は is one of its most common uses
When は appears twice in a sentence, it almost always signals contrast
も replaces は and が
✅ CORRECT
わたしも がくせいです。
Watashi mo gakusei desu.
I am also a student.
も replaces は
❌ COMMON MISTAKE
わたしはも がくせいです。
Watashi wa mo gakusei desu.
I am also a student.
Cannot stack は and も — も replaces は entirely
も + Other Particles
✅ CORRECT
ここにも あります。
Koko ni mo arimasu.
There is one here too.
も comes AFTER に
❌ COMMON MISTAKE
ここもに あります。
Koko mo ni arimasu.
There is one here too.
Wrong order. も replaces は/が but goes after other particles.
が with Feelings/Abilities
✅ CORRECT
ねこが すきです。
Neko ga suki desu.
I like cats.
が, not を, with すき
❌ COMMON MISTAKE
ねこを すきです。
Neko wo suki desu.
I like cats.
Wrong particle. すき, きらい, わかる, できる, ほしい all use が
A — Flashcards
Click a card to flip it. Use ▶ to hear the Japanese.
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B — Listen & Choose the Meaning
Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then choose the correct English meaning.
D — Listen & Write in Romaji
Press ▶ to hear each phrase, then type what you heard in romaji.
💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).
は vs が — Old vs New Information
The most fundamental distinction: は marks what is already known or established (the topic), while が introduces new information or answers a question. When someone asks だれが きましたか (Who came?), the answer uses が: たなかさんが きました. But if you're already talking about Tanaka and want to say where he went: たなかさんは がっこうに いきました (は — he's the known topic).
Question about WHO/WHAT
→
answer with が
Question about where/when/how
→
topic stays with は
「だれが いちばんですか。」「たなかさんが いちばんです。」
Dare ga ichiban desu ka. Tanaka-san ga ichiban desu.
"Who is the best?" "Tanaka is."
Why は is pronounced "wa"
The particle は is written with the hiragana は (ha) but pronounced "wa." This is a historical spelling — in Old Japanese, は was pronounced "wa" in certain positions. Only two particles keep this old pronunciation: は (wa) and へ (e, direction particle). Everywhere else, は is "ha."
はは は げんきです。
Haha wa genki desu.
My mother is well. (First は = "ha" in はは, second は = "wa" particle)
Contrastive は
One of は's most powerful uses is contrast. When you say AはX、BはY, you're explicitly comparing A and B. This often implies "A is X, but B is different." Even a single は can carry contrastive nuance: さかなは たべません doesn't just mean "I don't eat fish" — it implies "fish specifically (unlike other things) I don't eat."
にくは すきですが、やさいは すきじゃないです。
Niku wa suki desu ga, yasai wa suki ja nai desu.
I like meat, but I don't like vegetables.
が for Feelings and Abilities
Certain predicates always pair with が, not を: すきです (like), きらいです (dislike), わかります (understand), できます (can do), ほしいです (want), じょうずです (good at), へたです (bad at). The pattern is: ～が [feeling/ability]. Think of it as: the thing that triggers the feeling is the subject (が), not the object (を).
[THING]
が
[feeling/ability]
[thing]
ga
[feeling/ability]
→ "[THING] is [liked/understood/possible]."
えいごが できます。
Eigo ga dekimasu.
I can speak English.
も in Positive vs Negative
In positive sentences, も means "also/too": わたしも (me too). In negative sentences with question words, も means "nothing/nobody/nowhere": なにも (nothing), だれも (nobody), どこにも (nowhere). The negative verb is required — なにもありません (there is nothing). Without the negative, なにも would be incomplete.
しゅうまつは どこにも いきませんでした。
Shuumatsu wa doko ni mo ikimasen deshita.
I didn't go anywhere on the weekend.
Double Particles: には, では, からも
は and も can attach after other particles: に+は = には, で+は = では, から+も = からも. But は and も replace が and を — they don't stack. So you say わたしは (not わたしがは) and わたしも (not わたしがも). But にほんには (to/in Japan — topic) and ここにも (here too) are correct because に stays.
にほんには おてらが たくさん あります。
Nihon ni wa otera ga takusan arimasu.
In Japan, there are many temples.
| Japanese | Romaji | English | ▶ |
|---|---|---|---|
| ねこ | neko | cat | |
| いぬ | inu | dog | |
| へや | heya | room | |
| レストラン | resutoran | restaurant | |
| コーヒー | koohii | coffee | |
| おちゃ | ocha | tea | |
| だれ | dare | who | |
| なに | nani | what | |
| すき | suki | like, fond of | |
| べんきょう | benkyou | study |