Particles are every Japanese learner's nightmare. に or で? は or が? When do I use を? If you've spent hours trying to figure out the difference, you're not alone. The problem is that most explanations are too theoretical. Here's how particles actually work, with examples you can use immediately.
What Are Particles?
Particles (助詞, joshi) are small words that indicate the grammatical function of what precedes them. In English, we use prepositions and word order. In Japanese, particles do all the heavy lifting. Use the wrong particle, and the sentence means something completely different.
は (wa) - The Topic Marker
は marks the topic, meaning 'what we're talking about'. It's not the grammatical subject (that's が). It's like saying 'as for X...' at the beginning of a sentence.
- 私は学生です (Watashi wa gakusei desu) - As for me, I'm a student
- 今日は暑いです (Kyō wa atsui desu) - As for today, it's hot
- この本は面白い (Kono hon wa omoshiroi) - As for this book, it's interesting
が (ga) - The Subject Marker
が marks the subject that performs the action or possesses a quality. Use it when the subject is new information, when answering 'who?' or 'what?', or with certain verbs like わかる, ある, いる, 好き, 欲しい.
- 誰が来ましたか？田中さんが来ました (Who came? Tanaka-san came)
- 日本語がわかります (I understand Japanese - literally: Japanese is understandable)
- 猫が好きです (I like cats - literally: cats are likeable)
は vs が: The Practical Rule
Simple rule: は for old/known information, が for new information. 'The cat ate the fish' → 猫は魚を食べた (we already know about the cat). 'A cat ate the fish' → 猫が魚を食べた (introducing the cat).
を (wo/o) - The Direct Object Marker
を marks the direct object, meaning the thing the action is done to. If you can ask 'what?' after the verb, that thing takes を.
- りんごを食べる (I eat an apple) - what do I eat? The apple
- 本を読む (I read a book) - what do I read? The book
- 日本語を勉強する (I study Japanese) - what do I study? Japanese
Note: を is also used to indicate movement through a place: 公園を歩く (walk through the park), 道を渡る (cross the street).
に (ni) - Destination, Time, Existence
に is the most versatile particle. Its main uses are three: destination (where to), specific time (when), and location of existence (where something is).
に for Destination
- 学校に行く (I go to school) - destination of movement
- 日本に来た (I came to Japan)
- 家に帰る (I return home)
に for Specific Time
- 7時に起きる (I wake up at 7)
- 月曜日に会いましょう (Let's meet on Monday)
- 2024年に日本に行った (I went to Japan in 2024)
に for Existence
- 東京に住んでいる (I live in Tokyo)
- 机の上に本がある (There's a book on the desk)
- 公園に猫がいる (There's a cat in the park)
で (de) - Location of Action, Means, Cause
で indicates where an action happens, what you use to do it, or why something happens. The difference from に is crucial: に is static (where something IS), で is dynamic (where something HAPPENS).
で for Location of Action
- 図書館で勉強する (I study at the library) - the action happens there
- レストランで食べる (I eat at the restaurant)
- 公園で遊ぶ (I play at the park)
で for Means/Instrument
- 箸で食べる (I eat with chopsticks)
- 電車で行く (I go by train)
- 日本語で話す (I speak in Japanese)
で for Cause/Reason
- 病気で休んだ (I was absent due to illness)
- 雨で試合が中止になった (The game was canceled because of rain)
に vs で: The Definitive Comparison
| Situation | に | で |
|---|---|---|
| Where I live | 東京に住む ✓ | × |
| Where I study | × | 図書館で勉強する ✓ |
| Where something exists | 机の上にある ✓ | × |
| Where something happens | × | ここで事故があった ✓ |
Memory trick: に = point of arrival/existence (static). で = stage of action (dynamic). If the action 'happens' there, use で. If something 'is/goes' there, use に.
Other Essential Particles
へ (e) - Direction
Similar to に for direction, but more emphatic about the 'toward'. 日本へ行く emphasizes direction, 日本に行く emphasizes destination. In practice, they're often interchangeable.
と (to) - With, And
- 友達と行く (I go with my friend)
- りんごとバナナ (Apple and banana)
- 彼と話した (I talked with him)
から (kara) and まで (made) - From and Until
- 9時から5時まで働く (I work from 9 to 5)
- 東京から大阪まで (From Tokyo to Osaka)
- 子供から大人まで (From children to adults)
の (no) - Possession and Connection
- 私の本 (My book)
- 日本の文化 (Japanese culture)
- 友達の友達 (A friend's friend)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ❌ 学校で行く → ✓ 学校に行く (destination = に)
- ❌ 図書館に勉強する → ✓ 図書館で勉強する (action = で)
- ❌ 日本語を話す人は... → ✓ 日本語が話せる人は... (ability = が)
- ❌ 私が田中です → ✓ 私は田中です (introduction = は, unless answering 'who?')
How to Practice
Particles aren't memorized. They're learned through use. Every time you read or listen to Japanese, ask yourself: why that particle there? With Kanjidon, you learn kanji in the context of real words and sentences, naturally exposing yourself to particles in action.
Conclusion
Particles seem complicated because we look for English equivalents that don't exist. Stop translating and start feeling the function. に points, で hosts, を receives, は presents, が identifies. With practice, it becomes instinctive.
