Japanese grammar
は vs が: the topic and subject particles
は and が both attach to the person or thing a sentence is about, which is why they are the first real puzzle in Japanese grammar. The short version: は sets the topic, something already in play, and が points at new information, including the answer to a question word. The sections below build that up in the order the course teaches it.
Examples are written in kana. New to it? Start with the hiragana chart.
In short
- は (written ha, said wa) marks the topic: what the rest of the sentence comments on.
- が marks new information and the answer to a question word: だれが くる？
- A question word never takes は.
- すき, きらい, ある and いる take が for the thing liked or the thing that exists.
は — the spotlight
は spotlights the topic; everything after は comments on it: わたしは がくせいだ.
は shines a spotlight on the topic — the thing the sentence is about. Everything after は is a comment on it: わたしは がくせいだ = spotlight on me → comment: student. Written は, said 'wa'.
わたしは がくせいだ。
I'm a student. (spotlight: me → comment: student)
たなかは せんせいだ。
Tanaka is a teacher. (the spotlight moves to Tanaka)
がくせいだ。
(I'm) a student. (no spotlight: natural when it's already obvious who you mean)
ミカは にほんじんだ。
Mika is Japanese. (にほんじん = a Japanese person)
Common mistake
はわたし がくせいだ。
Why it's wrong: は clips onto the END of the word it spotlights: わたしは, never はわたし. Japanese particles always follow their word.
ある — there is (things)
ある marks an inanimate thing's existence; が names the thing: ほんが ある.
ある says an inanimate thing EXISTS — 'there is'. Mark the thing whose existence you announce with が: ほんが ある = 'there's a book.' が spotlights the subject; ある closes the sentence and takes no だ.
ほんが ある。
There's a book.
かさが ある。
There's an umbrella.
Common mistake
ほんを ある。
Why it's wrong: existence isn't done TO the book — ある takes が (the thing that exists), never を.
すき / きらい — が, one more time
すき/きらい are な-adjectives; what you like/dislike takes が, and — unlike たい — you can say it about others.
すき and きらい are な-adjectives, not verbs. ねこが すきだ is literally cats are likeable — to me, which is exactly why the thing you like takes が, the same が as ほしい. In front of a noun they take な (すきな いろ) and they negate like any な-adjective (すきじゃない). One difference from たい: these you MAY say about other people — ミカは うたが すきだ is fine.
わたしは ちいさい ねこが すきだ。
I like small cats.
ミカは あたらしい うたが すきだ。
Mika likes new songs.
わたしは きゅうりが きらいだ。
I don't like cucumber.
わたしの すきな みせは ちいさい。
The shop I like is small.
ちゃは すきじゃない。
I don't like tea.
Common mistake
わたしは ちいさい ねこを すきだ。
Why it's wrong: すき is an adjective, not a verb — what you like is marked が
だれが くる？ — は と が
は marks the topic, already known; が marks new information, and is required before から.
は and が both sit behind the person or thing doing something, and they do different jobs. は marks the TOPIC — what the sentence is about, something already in play: 「ミカは がくせいだ」. が marks NEW information — the piece the listener does not have yet, and the ANSWER to a question word: 「だれが くる？」「ケンが くる。」 A question word can never take は, because nothing nobody has named yet can be the topic. There is one more place が is compulsory: inside a reason clause. は belongs to the whole sentence and a sentence gets one topic, so the clause in front of から takes が instead: 「ケンが くるから うちで まつ」.
だれが くる？
Who's coming?
ケンが くるから うちで まつ。
Ken is coming, so I'll wait at home.
ミカは がくせいだから いそがしい。
Mika is a student, so she's busy.
ここは とりにくが おいしい。
The chicken here is delicious.
わたしは じかんが ない。
I have no time.
Common mistake
だれは くる？
Why it's wrong: a question word never takes は — you cannot make a topic out of someone nobody has named yet: だれが くる？
Practice this in Open Lingo
This page comes from the Open Lingo course. In the app it is a short interactive lesson with listening, speaking and spaced-repetition review. Free, and no account needed to try it.
Keep going
- The particle をHow the Japanese particle を (o) marks the thing a verb acts on, why it is written wo but said o, and how it fits Japanese word order.
- ある vs いるHow to say there is or I have in Japanese with ある (things) and いる (people and animals), and their negatives ない and いない.
- に vs でThe difference between the Japanese particles に (ni) and で (de) for places, plus に for clock times, explained with course examples.