Particles

助詞・じょし

1. Overview

Particles are essential components in the Japanese language used to connect words and sentences, indicating grammatical relationships, functions, or emphasis. They typically follow nouns, verbs, or adjectives to construct sentence structures.

2. List of Particles

Particle	Function Description	Example Sentence	English Translation
は	Topic marker	私は学生です。	I am a student.
が	Subject marker	彼が来ました。	He has come.
を	Direct object marker	本を読みます。	I read a book.
に	Destination, time, receiver	学校に行きます。	I am going to school.
へ	Direction marker	家へ帰ります。	I am returning home.
で	Place, means marker	車で行きます。	I go by car.
と	Accompaniment, quotation marker	友達と遊びます。	I play with my friend.
か	Question marker	これは何ですか？	What is this?
も	Also, too marker	私も行きます。	I will go too.
から	Starting point, reason marker	9時から始まります。	It starts from 9 o'clock.
まで	End point, range marker	5時まで働きます。	I work until 5 o'clock.
よ	Emphasis, notification marker	これはおいしいよ。	This is delicious, you know.
ね	Sentence-ending particle for confirmation	いい天気ですね。	It's nice weather, isn't it?
しか	Limitation marker	これしか持っていません。	I only have this.
だけ	Only marker	私だけが知っています。	Only I know.

3. Structure and Usage

Particles are typically attached to nouns, verbs, and adjectives to form different components of a sentence. The choice and position of particles can affect the meaning and tone of a sentence.

Basic Uses of Particles

Topic Marker (は): Used to introduce the topic of the sentence.
Subject Marker (が): Emphasizes the subject of the sentence.
Object Marker (を): Marks the direct object of the sentence.
Direction/Time Markers (に, へ): Indicates the direction or time of the action.
Place/Means Marker (で): Indicates the place where the action occurs or the tool used.

4. Example Sentences

彼は日本に行きます。
(He is going to Japan.)
猫が好きです。
(I like cats.)
本を読みながら、音楽を聞きます。
(I read a book while listening to music.)
明日、学校に行きます。
(I will go to school tomorrow.)
友達と一緒に映画を見ます。
(I watch a movie with my friend.)

5. Summary

Particles play a crucial role in the Japanese language, helping to express the structure and meaning of sentences. Understanding the use of particles is essential for mastering the basic grammar of Japanese.