Comprehensive list of Japanese particles
Core Particles (Case Markers)
| Particle | Function / Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| は (wa) | Topic marker | 私は学生です。 | As for me, I am a student. |
| が (ga) | Subject marker; emphasis; first mention | 猫が好きです。 | I like cats. |
| を (wo/o) | Direct object marker | パンを食べます。 | I eat bread. |
| に (ni) | Time, direction, indirect object, purpose | 7時に起きます。 | I wake up at 7. |
| へ (e) | Direction marker (less common than に) | 学校へ行きます。 | I go to school. |
| で (de) | Place of action, means, material | バスで行きます。 | I go by bus. |
| と (to) | "And" (with nouns), "with", quoting speech | 友達と話しました。 | I talked with my friend. |
| から (kara) | From (time/place), because | 東京から来ました。 | I came from Tokyo. |
| まで (made) | Until (time/place) | 5時まで働きます。 | I work until 5. |
Conjunctive / Connecting Particles
| Particle | Function / Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| も (mo) | "Also", "too", negation emphasis | 私も学生です。 | I am a student too. |
| や (ya) | Incomplete list, "such as" | パンやご飯を食べます。 | I eat things like bread and rice. |
| とか (toka) | Casual version of や | 本とか雑誌とか読みます。 | I read things like books and magazines. |
| し (shi) | Reasons (non-exhaustive), emphasis | 安いし、美味しいし。 | It's cheap and tasty (among other things). |
Contrast, Restriction, Emphasis
| Particle | Function / Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| の (no) | Possessive; explanation; noun modifier | 彼の本です。 | It is his book. |
| ね (ne) | Seeking agreement, softening | いい天気ですね。 | Nice weather, huh? |
| よ (yo) | Emphasis, assertion | 本当ですよ！ | It’s true, you know! |
| しか (shika) | "Only" (with negative verb) | 水しか飲まない。 | I only drink water. |
| だけ (dake) | "Only", "just" (neutral) | 一人だけ来た。 | Only one person came. |
| でも (demo) | "But", "even", "also", "or something" | コーヒーでも飲みましょう。 | Let’s have coffee or something. |
| ばかり (bakari) | "Only", "just", often excessive | 食べてばかりいる。 | I do nothing but eat. |
Sentence-ending Particles
| Particle | Function / Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| か (ka) | Question marker | 元気ですか？ | How are you? |
| な (na) | Masculine softener, casual exclamation | 行くな。 | Don’t go. |
| ぞ (zo) | Masculine emphasis | 行くぞ！ | I’m going (emphatic)! |
| ぜ (ze) | Masculine, softer than ぞ | 行こうぜ！ | Let’s go! |
Special Use Particles
| Particle | Function / Use | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| やら (yara) | Uncertain examples | 本やら雑誌やら | Books and magazines and stuff |
| なり (nari) | Alternatives (formal/literary) | 水なりお茶なり飲みなさい。 | Drink water or tea (or something). |
| って (tte) | Quoting; casual "は"; topic | 彼って優しいね。 | He’s kind, right? |
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