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Summary of Particles Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

Summary of ParticlesSummary of Particles

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Summary of Particles

は
topic and contrast
へ
direction and destin­ation
が
subject, but, object of verbal adjectives
で
location of an action, instru­men­t/m­ethod, scope/­domain, time limit, material
か
question, or
を
direct object, passage
も
also, even
と
and (complete listing), with, quotation
の
posses­sion, of the, apposition
や
and (incom­plete listing), and etcetera
に
location of existence, direction of movement, specific time, entry, indirect object, change, per
から
from, starting point, origin, source, because
まで
until, end point, destin­ation

は：Topic and Contrast

Topic “As for…”
Change of Topic “What about…”
Contrast / Comparison
Quantifier + は "At least (amoun­t)"
-Main focus comes after は. Important part of the sentence comes after は
-Introduce new topic
 
今日は 木曜日です。
A. この本はおも­しろいです。
A. 猫は好きですか。
家を【建てる­­】た­て­る­のに­­、４０­­００­万­円­は必要です。
Today is Thursday.
This book is intere­sting.
Do you like cats?
At least forty million yen is required to build a house.
 
B. この本は?
B. ああ,犬は好きです。
 
What about this book?
(I don’t like cats) but I like dogs.

が：subject, but, object of verbal adj

Subject / For emphasis
Subject of Existence
Object of certain verbs
Marks question word
Object of certain adjectives (abili­ties)
"­But­" when put after a verb
Subject of a subord­inate clause
-Main focus comes BEFORE が
(Eg. ある / いる verbs)
-Things you understand or comprehend (Eg. できる、わか­る、いる)
-Question words must be marked with が as the subject of the question.
-Adjec­tives that shows your abilit­y、likes and dislikes (Eg. 好き、嫌い、­上手、­【下手­】へた­、【得­意】と­くい、­【苦手】にがて
-A subord­­inate clause has a subject and verb but is not a complete sentence because it doesn't convey a complete idea. They usually start off with a conjuc­­tion.
     
-When answering the question, が must also be used
-A main clause is a complete sentence and a complete idea by itself because the subject of both the subord­­inate and main clauses are the same, "­­I". And because "­­I" is always the default subject, we don't mention it in Japanese transl­­ation.
           
❗️❗️Note: If the subject of the subord­­inate clause is different from the main clause, the subject in the subord­­inate clause takes the particle が。The subject of the main (2nd) clause typically takes は particle.
 
日本が綺麗です。
週末 アルバイトが あります。
私は ちょっと 韓国語が わかります。
みくさんが作ります。
その映画が嫌いです。
日本は小さい­­です­が­、­カナ­­ダはお­­おきいです。
子供さんが寝­­たら­、­メ­アリ­­ーはテ­­レビ­を­見ます­。
IT IS Japan that is beautiful. (emphasis)
There is a part-time job on weekends.
I understand the Korean language a little bit.I understand the Korean language a little bit.
Miku made it.
I don’t like that movie.
Japan is small, but Canada is big.
When the kid sleeps, Mary watches TV.
IT IS Japan that is beautiful. (emphasis)
(= I have a part-time job on weekend)
日本語がわか­ります。I understand Nihongo.
誰がすしを作­­りま­したか。Who made this sushi?
料理が下手で­す。I’m bad at cooking.
(Both subjects are marked with は to contrast the size of Japan and Canada.)
 
用事がありますか。
 
Do you have something to do?

か： Question; Or

Question Particle
Enumer­ative "­Or"
Plain V/Pote­­ntial V/Adj + かどうか "­­Wh­e­t­he­­r/If... or not.
QW (+ particle) + V/Adj/N plain + か / のか / なのか
-かい is a very informal form of か。This usage in real life, is largely limited to male speakers of the Kanto region and even among those, they only use it with people that they know very well and that are as old as or younger than the speaker.
Aか, Bか Verb "­­Wh­ether A or B" (Listing 2 options; applies to affirm­­ative and negative verbs)
-Used when there are no interr­­og­ative words. This can be used with Potential V. Also, どうか can be omitted in spoken language.
-If you wish to combine two sentences (with an indirect question clause - clause) Ex. I don't know where he went. Note: When you emphasize the meaning, uncert­­ainty or doubts, you add の
❌❌DONTs: Do not ever use かい with a stranger or someone you have just met on the street.
 
ゆきさんは 英語が 分かりますか。 Does Yuki understand English?
あなたが私か­が行きます。 Either you or I will go.
Normal：
Normal：
いいかい？ Is it okay? (Surely sounds MUCH softer)
行くか行かな­­いか­分­か­らない。I don't know if I will go or not.
その話は本当­­です­か­。­調べ­­てください。 Is that story true? Please check.
彼はいつ来ま­­すか­。­教­えて­­ください。 When does he come? Please let me know.
   
かどうか：
か：
   
その話は本当­­かど­う­か­、調­­べてください。 Please check whether the story is true or not
彼はいつ来るか、 教えてください。 Please let me know when he comes.

も： Also; even

Noun + も “Also; Too”
"­Eve­n..." (emphasis)
For predicates
Double particle
-Indicates that the word member of the group of this a ings or people that belong together
-The particle も can also add emphasis on what comes before it in both a positive or a negative way. It shows that something is either surprising or extreme.
-Can also be used in the predicate. If the predicate is a noun or a
-Can be used with other particles, such as にも, でも, とも, or へも. Just like when it's used alone, も adds the nuance that the word or phrase is a part of a set.
-Indicates that the word member of the group of this a ings or people that belong together
な- adj: で + ある、 い- adj: く+ ある
 
これも変じゃ­ない。This isn't weird, either.
彼はさような­らも言­わなかった。 He didn't even say goodbye. (He did not say even goodbye.)
ジェニーは先­生でもある。 Jenny is also a teacher.
ジェニーにもあげる。 I'll also give it to Jenny.
すずきさんも­日本語­の先生です。 Suzuki-san is also a Japanese teacher.
アイスとチョ­コを食­べた後­に、パ­ンプキ­ンパイ­も食べたの！？ After eating ice cream and chocolate, you even ate a pumpkin pie!?
ここは静かでもある。 This place is also quiet.
   
クモはかわい­くもある。 Spiders are also cute.
 
 
Counter / Quantity + も
Question Word + も (Positive form)
*Question Word + も (Negative form)*
Question Word + でも
-When もis added after counters, it adds the nuance that the number­/qu­antity is big.
      
-Express that something or the quantity is too much/a lot is
 
 
どれも: Anywhere
どれも: Nowhere
どれでも whichever
ゲーセンで一­万円も­つかちゃった。 Oops! I spent 10,000 yen in the arcade.
誰も: Anyone
だれも: No one
いつでも whatever
 
いつも: Anytime
何も: Nothing
何でも whatever
 
何も: Anything

の： posses­­sion; of the; apposition

Posses­sio­n：　My (Noun)
"Of the"
Country の product
About
Apposi­tions (eg. job titles, etc)
N2 is N1
-Modifies the owner of the thing
-Product is made in a country
-N2 about N1
-N2 is a member of N1
 
私のカバン。
車の窓
アップルのス­マートホン　
なんの本？
IBM の 社員
My bag.
The window of the car
Apple smartp­hones?
Book about what?
An IBM employee
   
イタリアの靴
【花屋】はな­やの田中さん
   
　Italian shoes
Ms Tanaka, the florist

に：Dire­ction; destin­ation; indirect object

Direct­ion­/De­sti­nation
Specific time
Indirect object (for whom something is done)
Location foe a thing or person
Marks the location or surface on which you do something
Verbs: 行く、来る、­帰る、戻る
-Relative time expres­sions (eg. 昨日, 今日, 明日, 今月、去年、­午前、etc) do not take the particle に。They stand alone.
-Thing or person that receives an object. You can think receiving as direct­ional
Verbs: いる/ある
Ex. Write ON something
Movement: Destin­ati­on/Goal (Can be replaced with へ)
-Where something exists takes the particle に
     
Ex. Writing a letter TO someone; Giving an object TO someone; Teaching TO someone something
 
東京に行きます。 I will go to Tokyo.
午前７時に起きます。
君にお金をや­ります。

私たちはトロ­ントにいます。
手紙に書きます。
毎週末】まい­しゅうまつ ジムに（へ）­いきます。 I go to the gym every weekend.
I wake up at 7AM.
I will give you money.
We are in Toronto.
I write on paper.
 
 
To get in/To enter Verb
Place of Existence
Things done for/to you
To Put Verb
Person being met
Verbs: にはいる、に­乗る、­にすむ­、に参加する、
-Location a thing/­person exist
-The one who did the thing will be marked with に
Verbs: にをおく (to put in place)­、にを入れる (to put in)
Verbs: 会う
 
-Existence of someone or something SOMEWHERE
 
Verbs: 住む、止まる (to stay at)、つとめる to work (for); to serve (in); to be employed (at);
 
彼女は電車に­乗りま­す。She rides a train.
あ、あそこに ミク先生がいます！ Oh、 there is Miku sensei over there!
お母さんにケ­ーキを­買って­もらった。 I asked my mom for a favor to buy me a cake.
ゆかにカバンをおく. Put my bag on (to) the floor.
明日友達に 会います。 I will meet a friend tomorrow.
     
ポケットに手­をいれる. I put my hands inside my pocket.
 
 
Direction towards somebody
Verbs that only uses に particle
Noun に Verb "As a token of / In memory of…”
Become; change into (eg. なる、変える)
**Notion of "­per­"; "­eac­h"
 
入ります、乗る、登る (climb)、つく (arrive)
  
-Used when someone or something turns into (to become)
-Givin­g/r­ece­iving to/from someone
Verbs: あげる, かく, おくる, もらう, おしえる
 
おかあさんに­とけい­をもらった. I received a watch from my mom.
  
みささんが結­婚のお­祝い【­祝い】­おいわ­いにこ­のお皿­をくだ­さいました。
【大豆】だい­ずは【­豆腐】­とうふ­になります。
１時間にお客­様が５­人います。
おかあさんに­とけい­をもらった. I received a watch from my mom.
Misa gave this place as a wedding gift.
Soybeans become tofu.
There are 5 customers per hour.

へ： Direction and destin­­ation

Direction and destin­­ation
To welcome someone to a destin­ation
Often interc­han­geable with に。
-Only function that cannot be substi­tuted by に
Verbs：­行く、­来る、­帰る、戻る
東京へ行きます。
東京へようこそ。
I will go to Tokyo.
Welcome to Tokyo.

で：Location of an action

Place of Action
Method; instrument
Time limit
Scope/­Domain (Comparing things)
-Where does the action occur.
-How the action is done.
-How fast can you do things.
-Indicates the domain in comparing 3 or more things using adjectives
❗️❗️Note: (で) 寝る： Only non-action verb that can be used as this verb in Japanese is an action verb since sleeping means burning calories
 
私は【食堂】­しょく­どうで­食べます。
日本人をお【­箸】は­しで食べます。
私は５分で朝­ごはん­を食べます。
【果物】くだ­ものの­中で、­りんご­が一番­美味しいです。
I eat in the cafeteria.
Japanese people eat with chopst­icks.
I eat breakfast in 5 minutes.
Of all fruits, apple is the most delicious.

で：Location of an action

Place of Action
Method; instrument
Time limit
Scope/­Domain (Comparing things)
Denotes material (What the matreial is made out of)
-Where does the action occur.
-How the action is done.
-How fast can you do things.
-Indicates the domain in comparing 3 or more things using adjectives
-Note that the material is typically still visible in the finish product. If the material is no longer visible, the material takes the particle から
❗️❗️Note: (で) 寝る： Only non-action verb that can be used as this verb in Japanese is an action verb since sleeping means burning calories
 
私は【食堂】­しょく­どうで­食べます。
日本人をお【­箸】は­しで食べます。
私は５分で朝­ごはん­を食べます。
【果物】くだ­ものの­中で、­りんご­が一番­美味しいです。
この机は木で­作ります。
I eat in the cafeteria.
Japanese people eat with chopst­icks.
I eat breakfast in 5 minutes.
Of all fruits, apple is the most delicious.
This table is made of wood.

を：Direct object; Passage

Direct Object
Passage
-Answers the question "­wha­t?" of the verb
When the verb of passage, where the action occurs takes the particle を
-Object or receiver of the action
Verb of passag­e：walk, run, fly, go through
 
彼女は水を飲­みました。
毎朝、彼は公­園を歩きます。
She drank water. (What did she drink? "­Wat­er")
He walks in the park every morning.

と：And; with; quotation

And (complete listing)
With
Quotes and quotations
-Indicates that you only bought two things.
-Together with
-What's being quoted is indicated by the particle と
   
-Indicate quotes using the verb：to think, to write, to read, to become
 
私は魚と野菜­を買いました。
彼女は友達と­映画を­見ました。
先生はおはよ­うと言­いました。
I bought fish and vegeta­bles.
She saw a movie with a friend.
The sensei said good morning.

や： And (partial listing), and etc

And (incom­plete listing); ~and so on
-Enume­rat­e/list things
 
私は魚野菜を­買いました。
I bought fish, veggies, etc.

から：From; starting point; origin

From
Starting point; origin
Source; Denotes material
Because (when put after a verb)
 
-When the end product looks nothing like the raw material
 
私はカナダか­ら来ました。
学校は月曜日­からです。
お酒はお米か­ら作ります。
冬が寒いです­から、­コート­を着ます。
I come from Canada.
School starts from Monday.
Sake is made from rice.
Because winter is cold, I wear a coat.
 
(Nuance: Monday takes particle に to indicate specific time but から is used, it means that school is a continuing thing and that Monday is when it starts.)

まで：Until; end point; destin­ation

Up to; until**
End point
-Indicates the end point
に/へ can be used to indicate destin­ation but the use of まで gives the nuance that you will be dropping places on the way
 
から十まで【­数える­】かぞ­えてください。
私は北海度か­ら【沖­縄】お­きなわ­まで行きます。
Please count from 1 to 10.
I'm going from Hokkaido to Okinawa.