Use は・が to build and understand simple Japanese sentences. When answering who will come, が normally identifies Tanaka as the requested person.

The idea

When answering who will come, が normally identifies Tanaka as the requested person. With は, the cat is presented as the topic and the sentence says what it is doing. The two can occur together: は introduces the person’s topic, while が marks what that person likes.

Patterns to compare
PhraseContinuation
猫ねこは寝ねています
猫ねこが寝ねています
私わたしは猫ねこが好すきです

Examples

  • 猫ねこが寝ねています。The cat is sleeping.
  • 猫ねこは寝ねています。The cat is sleeping.
  • 田中たなかさんが来きます。Tanaka is coming.
  • 田中たなかさんは来きます。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.

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

Watch out

Neither particle has a single fixed translation. は can mark contrast, and が can also describe an observed event; listen to the context.

Try it yourself

  1. Answer the question neutrally: 誰だれが来きますか。→田中たなかさん＿来きます。（が／は）

    Show answer or example answer

    が

    When answering who will come, が normally identifies Tanaka as the requested person.

  2. Make the cat the topic: 猫ねこ＿寝ねています。（は／が）

    Show answer or example answer

    は

    With は, the cat is presented as the topic and the sentence says what it is doing.

  3. 私わたしは猫ねこ＿好すきです。（が／を）

    Show answer or example answer

    が

    The two can occur together: は introduces the person’s topic, while が marks what that person likes.

Use it today

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