JAPANESE PARTICLES CHEAT SHEET

は／が の も
Indicate subjects by The Possessive Also / Too
coming after them Meanings: “Apostrophe S” & “of” Meanings: “also” and “too” - it can also
emphasize “any”
Meanings: “is, am, are” *Makes something possessive, like saying “my
monkey,” “Jenny’s friend,” or “Bobby of Sony (i.e. Examples:
*One thing to know about は is that it’s not Sony’s Bobby).”
pronounced “ha” but pronounced “wa” わたしも
は emphasizes what comes after it Examples: Me too / Me also
が emphasizes what comes before it
わたし の なまえ は こういち です ボッビーさん も アイキア に 行きます
わたし は こういち です: I am Koichi  
My name is is Koichi Bobby also will go to Ikea
わたし が こういち です: I am Koichi
* The first example would be used when you’re ボッビーさん の いぬ です なに も たべなかった
introducing yourself to someone, the second one It’s Bobby’s dog I didn’t eat anything
would be more like one of those movies where one
person has the gun pointed at two identical

を に
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 The Direct Object Movement and Time

I am a student (where は is “am” in this sentence)
How it’s used: All it does is shows what the direct How it’s used: Used to show what an action is
object is. Used when you’re directly doing directed to, and also shows destinations,
あの がくせい は ばか です
something (the verb) to something (the object). directions, places, and time. Remember, when you
That student is stupid  
move you use your knees (ni)
Examples:
あなた は おもしろい です Examples:
You are interesting   すし (object) を (particle) たべます (verb)
Eat sushi わたし は にほん に いきます
なに が たべたい？ I will go to Japan
わたし は Xbox を かいます
What is it that you want to eat? 
I will buy an X-Box  ３じ に すし を たべます
すし が すき です At 3 o’clock I will eat sushi
I like sushi / it is sushi that I like *Not used when you aren’t directly involved or
responsible (i.e. “the radio is broken” vs. “I broke *Some Movement Verbs: いきます、きます、かえ
the radio” - the second one uses を)
ります、のります、のぼります、はいります

へ で か、と、や、よ、ね

Emphasizing the Shows Context “Other” Particles

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:
Meaning: “By way of” / “at” か：Question marker - used on the end of a
sentence to make a question, like a question mark!
Can show how and where an action takes place.
と：Used to list nouns when you are listing
Examples: everything and you know everything on the list
や：Used to list nouns when you aren’t listing
くるま で いきます
I went by Car  everything, and maybe there are other things not
included.

にほん へ いきます わたし は レストラン で たべた ね：Sentence ender that gives an “isn’t it” feeling

Heading towards Japan I ate at the restaurant used to receive agreement for what you’re saying.
よ：Sentence ender that gives a “you know”
feeling, often when relaying new information.

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