Japanese Particles

助詞 JO SHI

The particles are most important for Japanese grammar.

Suffixes (Postpositions) and Prefixes (Prepositions)

All particles are written with Hiragana 仮名 and often consist oft only one syllable. Here are the most frequently used:

は WA

~ Nominative

One special Hiragana syllable changes its reading when used as a particle は HA → WA

木は KI WA = the tree

"木はきれい"
"KI WA KIREI"

1:1 "tree (nom.) beautiful"

"The tree is beautiful"

の NO

~ Genitive

木の KI NO = of the tree; wooden

NO can also make a noun an adjective: wooden

"木のはっぱはきれい"
"KI NO HAPPA WA KIREI"

1:1 "tree - of-the (gen.) leafs (nom.) beautiful"

= "The leafs of the tree are beautiful"

に NI

~ Dative

木に KI NI = (to) the tree

を WO / O

~ Accusative

木を KI WO = the tree

Men say WO, women say O, but it is the same Kana.

で DE

~ Instrumental

木で KI DE = with the tree; using the tree

から KARA

~ Ablative, Separative

木から KI KARA = from the tree (away)

The KA suffix makes any sentence a question:

"木はきれいです"
"KI WA KIREI DESU"

1:1 "tree(nom.) beautiful to-be(polite)" = "The tree is beautiful" (politeness is untranslatable).

"木はきれいですか"
"KI WA KIREI DESU KA"

1:1 "tree(nom.) beautiful to-be(polite)-question"

"Is the tree beautiful?"

Prefixes are mostly used for politeness:

お O

~ Your xyz; average politeness

O-KAA-SAN = Your mother-honorable

Note: this word has a prefix (O-) and a suffix (-SAN)! It is used in allday Japanese, even by kids talking about their parents.

ご GO

~ Your xyz; Advanced politeness

GO-KIBUN = Your(-VERY-polite) health

GO-KIBUN WA IKAGA DESU KA
1:1 Your-health (nom.) how to-be(polite)-question
= How is Your health
= How do You do (but VERY politely)

Some particles have more than one meaning, depending on the context, like と TO:

と TO

Relative subsentence ("that") → Sentence

{neverending sentence}-TO ITTA
1:1 {neverending sentence}, said (I)
I said that {neverending sentence}

That makes it very hard for simultane translators - the grammar is reverse!

と TO

Counting with "and"

KONO HON TO SONO HON
1:1 This book and that book