Use が to build and understand simple Japanese sentences. In a question asking who comes, が follows the question word and marks the subject.

The idea

In a question asking who comes, が follows the question word and marks the subject. In the cat sentence, が identifies the one that is sleeping, often introducing an observed event. With the adjective 好き, が marks what is liked: the cat, not the person who likes it.

Patterns to compare
PhraseContinuation
誰だれが来きますか
猫ねこが寝ねています
猫ねこが好すきです

Examples

  • 猫ねこが寝ねています。The cat is sleeping.
  • 田中たなかさんが来きます。Tanaka is coming.
  • 誰だれが来きますか。Who is coming?
  • 私わたしは猫ねこが好すきです。I like cats.
  • 雨あめが降ふります。It rains.
  • 駅えきに電車でんしゃが来きます。A train is arriving at the station.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

が does not always mean “new information”; its relationship with は depends on the whole context.

Try it yourself

  1. 誰だれ＿来きますか。（が／を）

    Show answer or example answer

    が

    In a question asking who comes, が follows the question word and marks the subject.

  2. 猫ねこ＿寝ねています。（が／を）

    Show answer or example answer

    が

    In the cat sentence, が identifies the one that is sleeping, often introducing an observed event.

  3. 私わたしは猫ねこ＿好すきです。（が／を）

    Show answer or example answer

    が

    With the adjective 好き, が marks what is liked: the cat, not the person who likes it.

Use it today

Write two Japanese sentences using が. Explain what each means, then compare the forms with the examples.