The core particles
は, が, を, に, で, へ, と, も and の: what each one does, and which one a sentence needs.
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The core 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 は to mark what you are talking about
は marks the topic, the thing the rest of the sentence is about: 山田さんは 先生です。 It can also single something out to say what is not true of it: にくは 食べません。 As a particle it is said like わ.
Use が to mark who or what does something
が marks the subject, often something new to the conversation: あ、 犬が 来ました。 A question word is always followed by が, never は: だれが 来ましたか。 すき, きらい, 上手 and あります take が too: ねこが すきです.
Use を to mark the object
を comes after the thing an action is done to, just before the verb: パンを 食べます, おんがくを ききます. Verbs like 食べます, 見ます and かいます usually need it. It is only ever a particle, and it sounds like お.
Use に and へ for times, places and people
に after a clock time or a date says when: 七時に おきます. With a verb of moving, に or へ says where to: 日本に 行きます, えきへ 行きます. に also marks where someone or something is (へやに ねこが います) and who you give or send to (友だちに メールを おくります). Words like 今日, あした and まいにち take no に.
Use で for where and how you do something
で marks the place where an action happens: こうえんで テニスを します. It also marks how you do it, by transport, with a tool or in a language: じてんしゃで 来ます, ペンで かきます, 日本語で はなします. After a number of people it says how many together: 友だち 五人で えいがを 見ました.
Use と for and or with, and も for also
と joins nouns into a complete list (パンと たまご) and says who you do something with (友だちと 出かけます). も means too or also, and it takes the place of は, が or を: 私も 行きます, ねこも すきです.
Use の to link two nouns
の joins two nouns, and the first tells you about the second: 私の かばん (my bag), 日本の くるま (a Japanese car), 日本語の 先生 (a Japanese teacher). It can also stand in for a noun you have already mentioned: 私のです means it's mine.
Use は for contrast, も…も for both, で for a reason and を for a routeHigher only
Two は in one sentence set things side by side: 映画は よく 見ますが、 テレビは あまり 見ません。 も…も means both... and: 姉も 妹も 東京に 住んでいます。 After a noun, で can give a reason (雪で 電車が 止まりました), and を marks a place you move through or along (この 道を まっすぐ 行って ください).
The core particles key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Particle
- A short word after a noun that shows its job in the sentence, such as は, を or に. It works like an English preposition, but it comes after the word.
- は
- Marks the topic, what the sentence is about. As a particle it is said like わ.
- が
- Marks the subject, especially new information and the word after a question word: だれが 来ましたか.
- を
- Marks the object, the thing the action is done to: 本を よみます.
- に
- Marks a time, a place you go to, a place where something is, or the person you give to.
- で
- Marks where an action happens, or how it is done: こうえんで, でんしゃで.
- へ
- Marks the direction you go in, like に with a verb of moving. As a particle it is said like え.
- の
- Links two nouns, like 's or of in English: ゆきさんの ペン.
- と and も
- と means and (in a full list) or with; も means also or too.
Common mistakes in The core particles
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Using は after a question word, as in だれは 来ましたか.
A question word takes が: だれが 来ましたか, 何が すきですか. The answer keeps が too: ゆきさんが 来ました.
Using に for where an action happens, as in こうえんに テニスを します.
に is for where something is or where you go. For where you do something, use で: こうえんで テニスを します.
Adding に to 今日, あした or まいにち.
These time words stand on their own: あした 行きます. Keep に for clock times and dates, such as 三時に and 五月 五日に.
Writing the particles as they sound: わ for は, え for へ or お for を.
The particles keep their old spellings: 私は, えきへ, 本を. Only the sound changes.
Putting も next to は or を, as in 私はも.
も takes the place of は, が and を, so write 私も and コーヒーも. After other particles it simply follows them: 日本にも.
Practice
Try a The core 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.
Which pair of particles completes the sentence? きょうしつ___ 先生___ います。 (The teacher is in the classroom.)
- で、が
- に、が
- に、を
- で、を
Show the answer and the working
Answer: に、が
Where someone is takes に, and the person who is there takes が: きょうしつに 先生が います.
- います means is there, for people and animals.
- Where they are takes に.
- Who is there takes が.