Core Particles
The small words that mark who does what to whom. Get は・が・を・に・で・へ・と・も solid and every later grammar point gets easier.
What particles do
Japanese word order is flexible because particles, not position, show each word's job. A particle comes directly after the word it marks. The verb still comes last.
Quick reference
| Particle | Marks | Example |
|---|---|---|
| は | topic ("as for…") | 私は |
| が | subject / new information | 雨が |
| を | direct object | ご飯を |
| に | destination, time, target | 学校に |
| で | place of action, means | 電車で |
| へ | direction (≈ に) | 東京へ |
| と | "and" (nouns), "with" | 友だちと |
| も | "also / too" | 私も |
は vs が — the big one
は sets the topic: what the sentence is about. Everything after は is the comment. が points at the subject and often introduces something new or answers "which one?". • Known / contrast → は: 今日[きょう]は 忙[いそが]しいです。 • New / identifying → が: だれが 来[き]ましたか。— たなかさんが 来ました。 With describing-adjectives of feeling and ability (好[す]き、上手[じょうず]、ある/いる), the thing is marked with が.
に vs で for place
に = where something exists or where you end up (with いる／ある／行く／来る／入る). で = where an action happens. • 部屋[へや]に います。 — I'm in the room. (existence) • 部屋[へや]で 勉強[べんきょう]します。 — I study in the room. (action)
Particles in action
私は 毎朝 コーヒーを 飲みます。
I drink coffee every morning.
友だちと バスで 京都へ 行きました。
I went to Kyoto by bus with a friend.
テーブルの 上に 本が あります。
There is a book on the table.
New thing appearing → が
日曜日は うちで 映画を 見ます。
On Sundays I watch movies at home.
Common slips: を with a place + intransitive motion is fine (公園[こうえん]を 散歩[さんぽ]する = walk through the park), but destinations take に／へ. Don't put を before 好き — it's 〜が 好き.
Exercises
Fill the particle
Type the single particle that fits. Say the whole sentence aloud first.
I am a student.
私 学生です。
Say each answer out loud before checking.
Build the sentence
Put the tiles in natural order.
I go to the office by train every day.