Japanese particles · core guide

じょし

small markers that show each word's job in a sentence

ことば

Start here: single-word vocabulary

No sentences yet. Read the English, say one Japanese word, then tap to check. Drill nouns first, then verbs.

Pattern to memorize: active situation

て-form + いる = active situation

te-form + iru = doing now, current routine, or ongoing state

What you want	How it is built
I study (habit / plan)	べんきょうしますbenkyou shimasu
I am studying	べんきょうしていますbenkyou shite imasu
I studied	べんきょうしましたbenkyou shimashita
I was studying	べんきょうしていましたbenkyou shite imashita

Any action verb: once you know the て-form, add いる. Then make いる polite, past, or casual.

のむ → のんで + います = のんでいますnomu → nonde + imasu = nonde imasu · drinking
みる → みて + います = みていますmiru → mite + imasu = mite imasu · watching
はなす → はなして + います = はなしていますhanasu → hanashite + imasu = hanashite imasu · speaking

Nuance check: ている is not only “right this second.” For action verbs it can mean doing now. With words like さいきん or まいにち, it can also mean a current or repeated routine. Some verbs use it for an ongoing state, like すんでいます = “live / am living.”

Register	Shape	Drink example
careful polite	て-form + imasu	のんでいますnonde imasu
spoken polite	drop i before masu	のんでますnonde masu
plain / casual	て-form + iru	のんでいるnonde iru
casual spoken	drop i: de iru → deru	のんでるnonderu

If English says...	Use this shape
What do you drink?	なにをのみますか。nani o nomimasu kahabit / general question + か
What are you drinking?	なにをのんでいますか。nani o nonde imasu kaongoing question: のむ → のんで + います + か
My friend watched a movie at home yesterday.	きのう、ともだちはいえでえいがをみました。kinou, tomodachi wa ie de eiga o mimashitasimple past
My friend was watching a movie at home yesterday.	きのう、ともだちはいえでえいがをみていました。kinou, tomodachi wa ie de eiga o mite imashitapast ongoing: みる → みて + いました

Verb form families

The same verb can show up as a dictionary form, polite form, te-form, ongoing form, past form, or want-to form. Practice the annoying swaps here before the sentence cards.

Quick split: します is “I do / I will do” as a general habit or plan. しています is an active situation: doing now, a current routine, or an ongoing state. して is the short te-form bridge.

じょ

Quick particle map

Particles come after a word and label its job. Learn the job first, then swap in words from your real life.

Particle	Use	Simple pattern
はwa	topic: “as for...”	A は B です。A wa B desu.
がga	subject / the thing in focus	A がすきです。A ga suki desu.
をo	object receiving an action	A をします。A o shimasu.
もmo	also / too	A も B です。A mo B desu.
でde	where an action happens / by means of	A で B をします。A de B o shimasu.
とto	and (complete list) / with	A と BA to B

Reading note: the particle は is pronounced wa, and を is usually pronounced o.

は

Topic marker: what are we talking about?

は sets the topic. Think “as for...” It tells the listener what the rest of the sentence is about.

Topic + は + comment

topic + wa + information about it

わたしはソフトウェアエンジニアです。

watashi wa sofutowea enjinia desu. — “I'm a software engineer.”

わたしI はtopic ソフトウェアエンジニアsoftware engineer ですam / is

Real-life examples

わたしはフィリピンじんです。watashi wa firipin-jin desu.	I'm Filipino.
いまはサンフランシスコにすんでいます。ima wa san furanshisuko ni sunde imasu.	Right now, I live in San Francisco.
こんやくしゃはにほんじんとフィリピンじんのハーフです。kon'yakusha wa nihon-jin to firipin-jin no haafu desu.	My fiancée is half Japanese and half Filipino.

Natural Japanese: once the topic is obvious, Japanese often drops わたしは. You do not need to begin every sentence with “I.”

が

Subject marker: which thing is it?

が marks the subject—often the specific person or thing being identified, noticed, liked, understood, or said to exist.

Subject + が + description / action

subject + ga + what is true about it

は vs. が

Question in your head	Example
“Speaking of Shawn, what does he do?”	ショーンはエンジニアです。shoon wa enjinia desu.Shawn is an engineer.
“Who is the engineer?”	ショーンがエンジニアです。shoon ga enjinia desu.Shawn is the engineer.

Common beginner patterns

バスケットボールがすきです。basuketto booru ga suki desu.	I like basketball.
わたしがソフトウェアエンジニアです。watashi ga sofutowea enjinia desu.	I'm the software engineer.
ちかくにジムがあります。chikaku ni jimu ga arimasu.	There is a gym nearby.
こうえんにひとがいます。kouen ni hito ga imasu.	There are people in the park.

Existence: use あります for things and places; use います for people and animals.

を

Object marker: what gets the action?

を marks the direct object—the thing you eat, watch, learn, play, buy, or otherwise act on.

Object + を + verb

object + o + action

にほんごをべんきょうしています。

nihongo o benkyou shite imasu. — “I'm studying Japanese.”

バスケットボールをします。basuketto booru o shimasu.	I play basketball.
ウェイトリフティングをします。ueito rifutingu o shimasu.	I lift. / I do weightlifting.
えいがをみます。eiga o mimasu.	I watch a movie.
コーヒーをのみます。koohii o nomimasu.	I drink coffee.

も

Also / too: add another matching thing

も is pronounced mo. Put it right after the noun or phrase you want to mark as “also.”

Noun + も

noun + mo — “also / too”

バスケットボールがすきです。
ウェイトリフティングもすきです。

basuketto booru ga suki desu. ueito rifutingu mo suki desu.
“I like basketball. I like weightlifting too.”

ウェイトリフティングweightlifting もalso / too すきlike / favorite ですis

も replaces the particle that the matching item had in the first sentence.

How it changes a sentence

Without も	With も
ウェイトリフティングがすきです。ueito rifutingu ga suki desu.I like weightlifting.	ウェイトリフティングもすきです。ueito rifutingu mo suki desu.I like weightlifting too.

Shortcut: は, が, or を often changes to も when that noun is the “also” part: わたしは → わたしも.

More examples

わたしもにほんにいきたいです！watashi mo nihon ni ikitai desu!	I want to go to Japan too!
タイにすんでいました。インドネシアにもすんでいました。tai ni sunde imashita. indoneshia ni mo sunde imashita.	I lived in Thailand. I also lived in Indonesia.

で

At / by means of: where or how an action happens

で marks the place where an action happens. It also marks the tool, language, or transportation used to do something.

Place / means + で + action

place or tool + de + action

Where an action happens

サンフランシスコではたらいています。san furanshisuko de hataraite imasu.	I work in San Francisco.
スタートアップではたらいています。sutaato appu de hataraite imasu.	I work at a startup.
ジムでウェイトリフティングをします。jimu de ueito rifutingu o shimasu.	I lift at the gym.
いえでにほんごをべんきょうします。ie de nihongo o benkyou shimasu.	I usually study Japanese at home.

How / by what means

バスでかいしゃにいきます。basu de kaisha ni ikimasu.	I go to work by bus.
にほんごではなします。nihongo de hanashimasu.	I speak in Japanese.
パソコンでしごとをします。pasokon de shigoto o shimasu.	I work using a computer.

で vs. に: use で for an action at a place: ジムでトレーニングします. Use に for being or living there: サンフランシスコにすんでいます.

と

And / with: make a complete list

と is pronounced to. It means “and” between nouns, and can also mean “with” when you do something together with someone.

Noun + と + noun

noun + to + noun — “noun and noun”

Rule: put と after each noun except the last one.

“And” examples

タイとインドネシアにすんでいました。tai to indoneshia ni sunde imashita.	I lived in Thailand and Indonesia.
バスケットボールとウェイトリフティングがすきです。basuketto booru to ueito rifutingu ga suki desu.	I like basketball and weightlifting.
こんやくしゃはにほんじんとフィリピンじんのハーフです。kon'yakusha wa nihon-jin to firipin-jin no haafu desu.	My fiancée is half Japanese and half Filipino.

Together / with someone

くがつにこんやくしゃとにほんにいきます。

kugatsu ni kon'yakusha to nihon ni ikimasu. — “I'm going to Japan with my fiancée in September.”

こんやくしゃfiancée とwith にほんJapan にdestination いきますwill go

Harder pattern: time + person と + destination に + verb.
くがつにこんやくしゃとにほんにいきます。kugatsu ni kon-yakusha to nihon ni ikimasu.
あした、ともだちととうきょうにいきます。ashita, tomodachi to toukyou ni ikimasu.

Natural conversation chunks

そうなんですね。sou nan desu ne.	I see! / Oh, is that so?
こんやくしゃとにほんにいきます。kon-yakusha to nihon ni ikimasu.	I'm going to Japan with my fiancée.
すきなものはウェイトリフティングです。suki na mono wa ueito rifutingu desu.	My favorite thing is weightlifting.

Tutor note: this lesson uses すきなものはウェイトリフティングです for “my favorite thing is weightlifting.” すきなこと can also point to a favorite activity, but keep this card on もの.

どうし

Verb scenarios: supply the action

The particle is already there. Read the real-life scenario, then put the right verb into the blank. Some prompts ask for formal speech; others ask for casual speech or past tense.

つくる

Build the whole sentence in romaji

Turn the English idea into one natural Japanese sentence. Type every chunk and particle in romaji, then submit. Macrons and accent marks are optional, and natural alternate word orders are accepted.

Mental model: build labeled chunks, then put the action last. A natural default is time → companion or place → object or destination → verb.

れん

Tutor practice: mixed directions

The prompt never names the target particle. Produce your answer first, then tap to check. Use the filters to isolate a weak skill or keep Mix all selected for a realistic review.

きく

Listening: answer the question in English

You get audio only. Listen, say what the question means in English, and answer it in English. Then tap the card to reveal the Japanese, meaning, and a sample answer.

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みみ

Listening comprehension: one word only

No sentence and no written hint. Play the isolated word, say its English meaning, then tap to reveal.

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