Case Particles / が を に で へ と から まで より

が, を, に, で… these tiny words are the glue of every Japanese sentence. Japanese word order is famously flexible, so it’s the particles — not the position — that tell you who did what to whom. Get the particle wrong and the whole meaning flips. Let’s go through the nine essential case particles one by one.

Types and roles of case particles

Particles are attached to the end of nouns to indicate the relationships between words.
Word order is not important but case particles have important grammatical meanings.

が / ga

が has the following 2 roles as a Case Particle

The subject of state/action

e.g. 犬いぬが歩あるいています。

A dog is walking. / Dogs are walking.

犬いぬ [noun] dog
歩あるく [verb] walk
ています [auxiliary verb] be ___ing

The Japanese language does not distinguish singular and plural.
To emphasize the plurality of a word, add “ら”, “たち”, etc. after the word.

The object of state (with adjectives)

e.g. (私わたしは)犬いぬが好すきです。

I like dogs. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

好すき [na-adjective] like
私わたし [noun] I, myself

The “私わたしは” is usually omitted. If not omitted, “私わたしは” becomes an emphatic nuance.

By the way, は is a topic marker.
Japanese nouns aren’t distinguished as singular or plural.

が has the following 4 other roles

These uses of が can be replaced with けど.

Contrast

e.g. (私わたしは)犬いぬは好すきだが、猫ねこは好すきじゃない。

I like dogs, but I don’t like cats.

猫ねこ [noun] cat

Contradictory conjunction (but, however, etc.)

e.g. 探さがしたが、見みつからなかった。

I looked for it, but could not find it. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

探さがす [verb] look for, search
見みつかる [verb] find

Preface to a talk

e.g. 今日きょうの授業じゅぎょうですが、体調たいちょうが悪わるいので欠席けっせきします。

Assertion modality だ or です is needed. (normally です is used)

Regarding today’s class, I am not feeling well and will not be attending. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

今日きょう [noun] today
授業じゅぎょう [noun] class, lesson, teaching
体調たいちょう [noun] (body) condition
悪わるい [i-adjective] bad
欠席けっせき [noun] absence

Equivocate

e.g. 否定ひていしませんが。

I don’t deny that. (but I think…)

否定ひていする [verb] deny, negate

を / wo

を has 3 roles below.

The object of the action (with a verb)

e.g. 本ほんを読よみます。

I read books. (“私は” is omitted.) / I read a book.

本ほん [noun] book
読よむ [verb] read

The Japanese language does not distinguish singular and plural.

Transit point

e.g. 橋はしを渡わたります。

I cross a bridge. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

橋はし [noun] bridge
渡わたる [verb] cross

Starting point

e.g. 学校がっこうを出でます。

I leave school. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

学校がっこう [noun] school
出でる [verb] leave, get out

に / ni

に has 8 roles below.

Location of existence/possession

e.g. 公園こうえんにベンチがあります。

There is a bench in the park. / There are benches in the park.

公園こうえん [noun] park
ベンチ [noun] bench

The Japanese language does not distinguish singular and plural.

e.g. 彼かれには妹いもうとがいます。

He has a younger sister. / He has younger sisters.

彼 [noun] he
妹 [noun] younger sister
いる [verb] exist, be (for creatures)

The Japanese language does not distinguish singular and plural.

Time

e.g. 9時じに帰かえります。

I’ll be back at 9 o’clock. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

帰かえる [verb] go back, go home, return

Japanese has only past or non-past tenses.
The present or future tense is determined by context and situation.

Destination / Arrival point

e.g. 駅えきに向むかいます。

I head for the station. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

駅えき [noun] train/subway station
向むかう [verb] head for, toward, go

e.g. 電車でんしゃに乗のります。

I will take the train. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

電車でんしゃ [noun] train
乗のる [verb] get on, mount, take, board, ride

Japanese has only past or non-past tenses.
The present or future tense is determined by context and situation.

The target of action

e.g. 彼かれにチョコをあげます。

I will give him chocolate. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

チョコ/チョコレート [noun] chocolate
あげる [verb] give, raise, up

Japanese has only past or non-past tenses.
The present or future tense is determined by context and situation.

Source of action

e.g. 上司じょうしに言いわれました。

I was told by my boss. (“私わたしは” and “私わたしの” are omitted.)

上司じょうし [noun] boss
言いわれる(言いう+れる) [verb+auxiliary verb] be told, be said, be called

Same meaning as 上司から言われました。

Purpose of moving

e.g. 見みに行いきます。

I am going to see it. (“私わたしは” and “それを” are omitted.)

見みる [verb] see, watch, look
行いく [verb] go

Comparison criterion

e.g. 彼かれはタンジロウに似にています。

He resembles Tanjiro.

似にている(似にる+いる) [verb(Te-form)+auxiliary verb] resemble

Cause / Result

e.g. 理解りかいに苦くるしみます。

It is difficult to understand. (I struggle to understand.)

理解りかい [noun] understanding
苦くるしむ [verb] be troubled, suffer

で / de

で has 4 roles below.

Location of action

e.g. 学校がっこうで勉強べんきょうします。

I study at school. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

学校がっこう [noun] school
勉強べんきょう [noun] study

Method / Tool / Ingredient / Material

e.g. 鉛筆えんぴつで書かきます。

I write with a pencil. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

鉛筆えんぴつ [noun] pencil
書かく [verb] write

e.g. その箸はしは竹たけでできています。

The chopsticks are made of bamboo.

箸はし [noun] chopsticks
竹たけ [noun] bamboo
できている(できる+いる) [verb(Te-form)+auxiliary verb] be made of

Same meaning as その箸は竹からできています。

Quantity / Volume / Time limit

e.g. 全力ぜんりょくで走はしります。

I will run at full power. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

全力ぜんりょく [noun] full power
走はしる [verb] run

e.g. 1時間じかんで着つきます。

It will arrive in 1 hour.

時間じかん [noun] hour, time
着つく [verb] arrive

Reason / Cause

e.g. 故障こしょうで使つかえません。

It cannot be used due to a malfunction. (“それは” is omitted.)

故障こしょう [noun] malfunction
使つかえる [verb] can be used

へ / e

へ has 2 roles below.

Direction / Arrival point

e.g. 東京とうきょうへ行いきます。

I’m going to Tokyo. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

東京とうきょう [noun] Tokyo
行いく [verb] go

Same meaning as 東京に行きます。

Recipient

e.g. 彼女かのじょへメールします。

I will email her. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

メールする [verb] email

Same meaning as 彼女にメールします。
At the beginning of a letter, へ is used. e.g. “ねずこへ” means “To Nezuko”.

と / to

と is often translated to “and” or “with”.

と has the following 3 roles as a Case Particle

Together

e.g. 犬いぬと歩あるきます。

I will walk with the dog. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

Quotation

e.g. 彼かれが行いこうと言いいました。

He said let’s go.

言う [verb] say

e.g. 行いこうと思おもいます。

I think I will go. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

思おもう [verb] think

“思う”, “判断する”, “決める”, etc. can be used to quote one’s own thoughts.

Comparison

e.g. 彼女かのじょと同おなじものを買かいました。

I bought the same one as her. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

同おなじ [Na-adjective] same
買かう [verb] buy

と has the following 1 other role

Connect multiple nouns

e.g. りんごとバナナを食たべます。

I will eat apples and bananas. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

りんご [noun] apple
バナナ [noun] banana

ゆっくりと、どさっと、がっしりと、さくっと、きらっと、etc. are onomatopoeia.
Do not be misled.

から / kara

から is often translated to “from”.

から has the following 4 roles as a Case Particle

Starting point

e.g. アメリカから来きました。

I came from America. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

アメリカ [noun] America
来くる [verb] come

e.g. その店みせは9時じから開あいています。

The store is open from 9 o’clock.

店みせ [noun] store, shop
開あく [verb] open

Sender

e.g. 彼かれからカバンをもらいました。

I got this bag from him. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

カバン [noun] bag
もらう [verb] get, receive, have

Same meaning as 彼にカバンをもらいました。

Ingredients / Materials

e.g. チーズは牛乳ぎゅうにゅうから作つくられます。

Cheese is made from milk.

チーズ [noun] cheese
牛乳ぎゅうにゅう [noun] milk
作つくる [verb] make

Cause of thing

e.g. 不注意ふちゅういから怪我けがをしました。

I was injured due to carelessness. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

不注意ふちゅうい [noun] carelessness
怪我けが [noun] injury

から has the following 3 other roles

Main clause and expression of intentions

e.g. うるさいから、音楽おんがくを止とめろ。

It’s too loud, (so) stop the music.

うるさい [i-adjective] noisy
音楽おんがく [noun] music
止とめる [verb] stop

The modality for reason (ending particle)

e.g. 今いまは幸しあわせだから。

Because I am happy now. (“私わたしは” is omitted.)

今いま [noun] now
幸しあわせ [noun, na-adjective] happiness, happy, fortunate

Weak reason

e.g. そこにあるから、使つかってね。

It’s there, so use it.

そこ [noun] there
ある [verb] exist, being, there is
使つかう [verb] use

まで / made

まで has 1 role below.

まで is often translated to “to” or “up to”.

Limit of time/place/things

e.g. 祭まつりは明日あしたまでやっています。

The festival is going on until tomorrow.

祭まつり [noun] festival
明日あした [noun] tomorrow
やる [verb] perform, execute, do, run, hold, play

e.g. 1000円えんまで使つかっていいです。

You can use up to 1000 yen. (“あなたは” is omitted.)

使う [verb] use, consume

The “あなたは” is usually omitted. If not omitted, “あなたは” becomes an emphatic nuance.
So it sounds strong and a little rude.

より / yori

より has 2 roles below.

Sender / Starting point

e.g. タンジロウより。

From Tanjiro. (End of letter)

Comparison (more than)

e.g. りんごはレモンより大きいです。

Apples are bigger than lemons.

りんご [noun] apple
レモン [noun] lemon
大きい [i-adjective] big, large

Practice

Put case particles in the underlined part.

Summary

Case particles attach to nouns and show each word’s role in the sentence. Here are the nine essentials at a glance:

• が — subject / object of a state (“the dog walks”, “I like dogs”).
• を — object of an action, transit point, starting point (“read a book”, “cross a bridge”).
• に — location of existence, time, destination, target… (the busiest particle, with 8 roles).
• で — place of action, method/tool/material, reason (“study at school”, “write with a pencil”).
• へ — direction / recipient (close to に; used at the start of letters).
• と — “with”, quotation, comparison, and connecting nouns (“walk with the dog”, “A and B”).
• から — “from” (starting point, sender, material, cause) and “because”.
• まで — “to / up to” a limit of time, place, or amount.
• より — “than” (comparison) and “from” at the end of a letter.

Remember: in Japanese, the particle — not the word order — decides the meaning. Swap が and を and you swap who is doing what, so these little characters are worth getting right.