More particles
や, か, ぐらい, ごろ, から, まで and しか, and the endings ね and よ. At Higher, だけ and でも.
Learn
More particles, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Use や for a list that is not complete
や joins nouns when you give a few examples and there are more: ペンや ノートを かいました means pens, notebooks and other things. When the list is complete, use と: ペンと ノートを かいました means just those two.
Use か to say or
Between two nouns, か means or: こうちゃか コーヒーを のみます. It works with times and days too: 土曜日か 日曜日に 行きます.
Say about with ぐらい and ごろ
ぐらい (also said くらい) means about with an amount or a length of time: 一時間ぐらい, 百人ぐらい. ごろ means about with a point in time: 七時ごろ おきます, 十時ごろ ねます.
Say from and until with から and まで
から means from and まで means until or as far as, for times and for places: 九時から 三時まで はたらきます, えきから 家まで あるきます. Each also works without the other: 月曜日から means from Monday.
Say only with しか and a negative
しか means only, and it always comes with a negative verb: 水しか のみません means I only drink water. It stresses how little there is: 一人しか 来ませんでした means only one person came.
End a sentence with ね or よ
ね invites the listener to agree, like isn't it: おいしいですね。 よ tells them something new, like I'm telling you: あの みせは やすいですよ。 You may also hear わ, a soft ending you only need to recognise.
Say only with だけHigher only
だけ also means only, but it works with any verb: 水だけ 飲みます, 日曜日だけ 休みます. しか needs a negative and sounds as if it is not enough, while だけ simply states the limit.
Make a soft suggestion with でもHigher only
After a noun, でも softens a suggestion, like or something: 映画でも 見ませんか. It leaves room for the other person to suggest something else.
More particles key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- や
- And, for a list that gives some examples, not all: 本や ざっし.
- か (or)
- Or, between two nouns: ペンか えんぴつ.
- ぐらい
- About, with an amount or a length of time: 二時間ぐらい.
- ごろ
- About, with a point in time: 八時ごろ.
- から and まで
- From and until (or as far as), for times and places.
- しか
- Only, always with a negative verb: 一つしか ありません.
- ね
- A sentence ending that asks the listener to agree: いいですね.
- よ
- A sentence ending that tells the listener something new or stresses a point.
- だけHigher only
- Only, with a positive verb: 二人だけ 来ました means only two people came.
- でも (suggesting)Higher only
- Or something, softening a suggestion: お茶でも.
Common mistakes in More particles
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Using しか with a positive verb, as in 水しか のみます.
しか needs a negative ending to mean only: 水しか のみません.
Using ごろ with a length of time, as in 二時間ごろ.
ごろ is for a point in time, such as 三時ごろ. For how long, use ぐらい: 二時間ぐらい.
Using や when you mean exactly these things and no others.
や suggests there are more. For a complete list, use と: パンと ミルクを かいました.
Using だけ with a negative to mean only, as in 水だけ 飲みません for I only drink water.Higher only
だけ goes with a positive verb: 水だけ 飲みます. With a negative, use しか: 水しか 飲みません.
Practice
Try a More particles question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Read the notice: プールは ごぜん 九時から ごご 六時までです。 What time does the pool close?
- 9 a.m.
- About 6 p.m.
- 6 p.m.
- 6 a.m.
Show the answer and the working
Answer: 6 p.m.
まで marks when it ends: ごご 六時まで, until 6 p.m.
- ごぜん 九時から: from 9 a.m.
- ごご 六時まで: until 6 p.m.
- So it closes at 6 p.m.