17 Frequently Used Japanese Particles [Plus Usage Notes]

Japanese particles, called 助詞 (じょし) or てにをは, are short hiragana words that follow the words they modify.

Individually they have no meaning, yet they appear in almost every sentence. Their role is to indicate the relationships between words in a sentence. For instance, when discussing coffee, the particle reveals whether it was received by you, taken from you, or came with your meal.

This article will teach you how to use 17 Japanese particles, including common sentence endings like ね and よ.

1. が (Subject Marker)

が is used for:

• Marking the subject of a sentence
• Following a question word (such as who, what or where)

が identifies the subject of the sentence (the person or thing it is about). An exception is that sometimes は (covered next) takes over this role.

For simplicity, understand that が is used whenever the speaker introduces new information.

You will also notice that sometimes the subject in a Japanese sentence differs from its English equivalent. Consider this example:

私は猫が好きです。 (わたしは ねこが すきです。) I like cats.

In English, "I" is the subject. But in Japanese, the subject is "cats." This happens because with certain verbs, が follows the object instead of the subject:

• 好き (すき) — to like
• 嫌い (きらい) — to dislike
• ほしい — to want
• できる — to be able to

Here are more examples of が:

私は蜘蛛が怖いです。 (わたしは くも が こわいです。) I’m afraid of spiders.

私は納豆が好きじゃないです。 (わたしは なっとう が すきじゃないです。) I don’t like natto .

誰がケーキを食べましたか？ (だれ が ケーキをたべた？) Who ate the cake?

In the final sentence, "who" is a question word, which is why が follows 誰 (だれ). Whenever a question word is the subject (like who, what, or where), the particle used is が.

2. は (Topic Marker)

は is used for:

• Marking the topic of the sentence (what we will discuss or comment on)
• Showing contrast
• Adding emphasis

が and は are similar, but instead of marking the subject, は tells us the topic of the sentence. For example:

私はケーティです。 (わたし は けーてぃです。) I am Katie.

キムさんは日本人です。 (キムさん は にほんじんです。) Kim is Japanese.

When indicating contrast, it helps to think of は as meaning "as for…" or "speaking of…". For example:

映画は見ないけど本は読む。 (えいが は みないけどほん は よむ。) I don’t watch movies, but I do read books.

Imagine you and your roommate are in a pet store. An employee asks which pet you prefer. You could say:

私は猫が好きです。 (わたしはねこがすきです。) I like cats. (literally, “As for me, I like cats.”)

But if your roommate prefers dogs, she would use は to show contrast. For example:

犬は好きです。 (いぬ は すきです。) I like dogs.

3. か (Question Particle)

か is used for:

• Showing a question is being asked
• Listing options and alternatives (similar to "or")

To ask a question in Japanese, add か to the sentence's end. For example:

誰が先生ですか？ (だれがせんせいです か ？) Who ‘ s the teacher?

今何時ですか？ (いまなんじです か ？) What time is it?

Another frequent use of か is to list options. For example:

猫か犬か、どちらが好きですか？ (ねこ か いぬ か 、どちらがすきですか？) Do you like cats or dogs? (literally, “Cats or dogs, which one do you like?”)

田中さんか中谷さんか、誰が先生ですか？ (たなかさん か なかたにさん か 、だれがせんせいですか？) Who’s the teacher, Tanaka or Nakatani? (literally “Tanaka or Nakatani, which one is the teacher?”)

4. を (Direct Object Particle)

を is used for:

• Marking a direct object

A direct object is the thing receiving the action. For example, in "I’m listening to a song," the song is the direct object because it is being listened to.

In modern Japanese, the particle を is pronounced "o," not "wo."

私は日本語を勉強しています。 (わたしは にほんご を べんきょうしています。) I am studying Japanese.

私は猫を見ます。 (わたしは ねこ を みます。) I see a cat.

5. と (Connecting Particle)

と is used for:

• Listing more than one answer to a question
• Showing who you are doing something with

When listing items in Japanese, consider と as "and." For example:

猫とチンチラが好きです。 (ねこ と ちんちらがすきです。) I like cats and chinchillas.

日本語と英語が話せます。 (にほんご と えいごがはなせます。) I can speak Japanese and English.

For lists of more than two items, add と after each one.

The other use of と is to indicate relationships. Here, you can think of it as "with." It is often followed by 一緒に (いっしょに), meaning "together," which comes after the particle は.

(私は) 彼と一緒に日本語を勉強しています。 ([わたしは] かれ と いっしょに にほんごを べんきょうしています。) I am studying Japanese with him.

今、誰と話していますか？ (いま、だれ と はなしていますか？) Who are you talking with/to right now?

お母さんと話しています。 (おかあさん と はなしています。) I’m talking with my mom.

6. の (Possession Particle)

の is used for:

• Showing possession (owning something)
• Asking informal questions

To indicate that something belongs to someone, simply attach の to the noun. For example:

それは誰の猫ですか？ (それはだれ の ねこですか？) Whose cat is that?

それは私の猫です。 (それはわたし の ねこです。) That’s my cat.

うわ、猫の目がとてもきれいです！ (うわ、ねこ の めが とてもきれいです！) Wow, the cat’s eyes are really beautiful！

Be cautious with the last sentence. If we said 猫の目 は とてもきれいです, what was a nice compliment with が becomes a subtle insult. Changing が to は makes it sound like, "Well, the cat’s eyes are beautiful… but the rest isn’t."

の can also ask informal questions. This usage is more common among women and children, giving it a cuter or more feminine tone.

どこいるの？ Where are you?

いいの？ Is this ok?

ここでいいの？ Is here okay?

どうしたの？ What’s the matter?

7. も (Addition Particle)

も is used for:

• Making a comment about more than one thing
• Meaning "too" or "also"

This handy particle is like the Pokemon Ditto—it can attach to or even replace other particles to mean "also" or "too." It shows that what applies to the first thing also applies to the second. For example:

私は猫が好きです。犬も好きです。 (わたしはねこがすきです。いぬ も すきです。) I like cats. I also like dogs.

私は日本語を勉強しています。中国語も勉強しています。 (わたしはにほんごをべんきょうしてます。ちゅうごくご も べんきょうしています。) I’m studying Japanese. I’m studying Mandarin, too.

It can also mean "both."

猫か犬か、どっちが好きですか？ (ねこかいぬか、どっちが好きですか？) Do you like dogs or cats?

どっちも! 猫も犬も好きです。 (どっち も ！ ねこもいぬ も すきです。) Both! I like cats and dogs.

8. に (Location and Time Particle)

に is used for:

• Marking time, location and direction
• Showing the destination of a verb
• Marking indirect objects
• Showing that something exists

With a verb of motion (like "to go"), you can use に to state your destination. For example:

今日ディズニーランドに行くよ！ (きょう でぃずに － らんど に いくよ！) I’m going to Disneyland today！(Informal)

どこに住んでいるのですか？ (どこ に すんでいるのですか？) Where do you live?

昨日どこに行ったのですか？ (きのうどこ に いったのですか？) Where did you go yesterday?

In the last sentence, の emphasizes that you are asking for an explanation.

に also marks the indirect object, or "who" receives the action's result. For example:

学生は先生に宿題を提出した。 (がくせいは せんせい に しゅくだいをていしゅつした。) The student hands their homework to the teacher. (informal)

私は友達に笑顔を見せた。 (わたしは ともだち に えがおを みせた。) I smiled at my friend. (Informal)

Here, the teacher and the friend are indirect objects because they receive the action (being given homework and being smiled at).

Finally, に indicates where something exists. The structure is:

(Somewhere) に (something) が (ある/いる)

The verb いる is for living, animate objects, while ある is for non-living, inanimate objects. For example:

机の上に鉛筆がある。 (つくえの うえ に えんぴつが ある。) There’s a pencil on the table. (Informal)

箱の中に猫がいる。 (はこのなか に ねこが いる。) There’s a cat in the box. (Informal)

9. で (Location Particle)

で is used for:

• Showing where an action happens
• Showing the use of something

Unlike に, the particle で involves no movement. It indicates the location where an activity occurs.

Suppose you ask someone where they went yesterday, and they say a pet store. You might then ask:

へえ？そこで何をしましたか？ (へえ？そこ で なにをしましたか？) Oh? What did you do there? (literally, “What did you do at that place? “)

日本で日本語を勉強しています。 (にほん で にほんごを べんきょうしています。) I am studying Japanese in Japan.

で also expresses how something is used. For example:

車で、来ました (くるま で 、きました。) I came by car.

10. へ (Direction Particle)

へ is used for:

• Showing the destination or direction of movement

The particle へ can describe your destination, similar to に. However, the nuance is not always the same.

へ can imply a stronger sense of "towards" than "to," so it's important to note the context.

東京 に 行った。 (とうきょう に いった。) I went to Tokyo. (Informal)

東京 へ 行った。 (とうきょう へ いった。) I went to Tokyo. (Informal)

Both sentences mean "I went to Tokyo," whether using に or へ.

But with へ, it could also be interpreted as "I went/set off toward Tokyo," suggesting you might not have actually arrived in Tokyo but got sidetracked.

Unlike に, the particle へ can come before の, allowing a noun to follow. This structure is often used for metaphorical statements, like:

平和への歩み。 (へいわ への あゆみ。) A step toward peace.

11. ね (Confirming and Agreeing)

ね is used for:

• Ending a sentence politely
• Seeking agreement or confirmation

ね is a very common sentence-ending particle and a polite way to finish a sentence.

Listen to any conversation between Japanese women, and you'll hear plenty of ね. It's used at the end of a sentence to seek confirmation, but unlike か, it isn't directly asking a question.

To express uncertainty, say ね with a rising tone. When seeking agreement, use a softer, lower tone.

Think of it as a way to make sure everyone in the conversation is aligned. It's like saying "Isn't it?" or "Right?"

寒いですね。 (さむいです ね 。) It’s cold!

あの女はきれいですね。 (あのおなはきれいです ね 。) That woman is pretty.

このかばんは高いですね？ (このかばんはたかいですね？) This bag is expensive, isn’t it?

12. よ (Emphasis and Exclamation)

よ is used for:

• Indicating a definitive end to a sentence

よ is one of the most useful sentence endings in Japanese. It's used equally by both genders and is less passive than ね.

The speaker is completely sure of their statement, having already formed a strong opinion or confirmed the information.

その映画はすごいですよ。 (そのえいがはすごいです よ 。) That movie was awesome.

暑いですよ！ (あついです よ ！) It’s hot!

分かるよ！ (わかる よ ！) I understand!

13. なくちゃ / なきゃ (Expressing Obligations)

なくちゃ and なきゃ are used for:

• Expressing that something must be done

I initially found this one challenging because it's not typically taught in classrooms, but you'll definitely hear なくちゃ and なきゃ frequently. They are casual substitutes for the more formal なければならない.

The core meaning is that you have to do something with no way around it. There's a sense of regret, but it can't be avoided!

なくちゃ is more common, but younger people often use the shortened version, なきゃ.

勉強しなくちゃ。 (べんきょうし なくちゃ 。) I have to study.

食べなきゃ。 (たべ なきゃ 。) I have to eat.

今、行かなくちゃ。 (いま、いか なくちゃ 。) I have to leave now.

14. さ / ぞ (Emphasis Used by Men)

さ and ぞ are used for:

• Emphasizing men’s statements

Men primarily use さ to add emphasis to their statements. It's very rare for women to use this.

Using さ evokes nostalgic images of Japanese men fanning themselves on a hot summer day, listening to wind chimes, and commenting on the intense heat. In a way, it can be seen as a stronger, more masculine version of よ.

For extra emphasis, the さ sound is often drawn out.

あのさ Hey/You know…

これさ！ This is the one!

重いさぁ！ (おもい さぁ！ ) It’s heavy!

ぞ is another common word for men to end sentences with strong emphasis and firm judgment.

The ぞ sound is often extended when men use it to show excitement and energy. Anime fans have likely heard male characters using ぞ during emotional moments, as anime characters often do.

In contrast, if a girl uses it, she might be trying to fit in with the guys.

行くぞ！ (いく ぞ ！) Let’s go!

飲むぞ！ (のむ ぞ ！) Let’s drink!

見るぞ！ (みる ぞ ！) Let’s look/watch!

15. な (Expressing Opinions)

な is used for:

• Expressing opinions (mainly used by men)
• Seeking confirmation

な is often used by men, typically within the same age group. It sounds similar to ね with a rising intonation, but comes across as rougher. It's also used more in casual situations than ね, which is more suitable for work environments.

な is a way to express an opinion or feeling without being too assertive. However, it can also confirm information, as in the first example:

おい！ 喫茶店にいくんだよな？ (おい！ きっさてんにいくんだよ な ？) Hey! Aren’t you going to the coffee shop?

その犬はかわいいな。 (そのいぬはかわい な 。) That dog is cute.

変だな。 (へんだ な 。) That’s strange, isn’t it?

16. ちゃった (Expressing Regret)

ちゃった is used for:

• Expressing regret (mainly used by women)

ちゃった is a very popular sentence ending, most commonly used by women. It expresses regret or doing something without thinking. It's similar to the English slang, "My bad."

For structure, verb endings change depending on whether they are -ru, -tsu, or -u verbs. Then, add ちゃった to the verb's end.

忘れちゃった。 (わすれ ちゃった 。) I forgot.

食べちゃった。 (たべ ちゃった 。) I ate (it all).

ちゃった can also mean something has happened "unfortunately," like this:

友達の魚が死んじゃった。 (ともだちのさかながしん じゃった 。) My friend’s fish died (unfortunately).

17. もん (Expressing Dissatisfaction)

もん is used for:

• Expressing dissatisfaction
• Indicating an emotional response
• Giving an excuse

もん is a casual way to show dissatisfaction with an event or an emotional reaction. It also works when you need to explain your actions. Words like だって sometimes start the sentence to manage the emotional level while explaining.

もん isn't extremely common, but it's a cute way to end a sentence. A tip: Avoid this ending unless you're aiming for a childish tone!

分からないもん！ (わからない もん ！) I don’t understand!

だって、出来ないもん！ (だって、できない もん ！) I just can’t do it!

だって、温泉に行きたいんだもん (だって、おんせんいいきたいんだ もん ) Aww, but I want to go to the onsen.

Consider these 17 Japanese particles as the framework for a necklace. With them, you can construct any sentence you wish.

The more you practice, the more naturally they will come to you.

Watch Japanese TV, listen to Japanese music, and engage with various Japanese media to understand how native speakers use particles. On a platform like Lingflix, you can follow along with subtitled video clips combined with learning tools.

Happy learning!