Japanese particles for Italian speakers

The idea

Choose a particle by its role in the Japanese sentence, not by translating an Italian preposition word for word. を marks a direct object; で marks where an action happens; に marks a destination or where someone exists; と marks a companion. は sets a topic, while が can mark the subject or the thing liked with 好きです.

Examples

• 私わたしは本ほんを読よみます。I read a book.
• 図書館としょかんで勉強べんきょうします。I study at the library.
• 私わたしは図書館としょかんに行いきます。I go to the library.
• 庭にわに猫ねこがいます。There is a cat in the garden.
• 私わたしは友達ともだちと話はなします。I speak with a friend.
• 私わたしはコーヒーが好すきです。As for me, I like coffee.

Watch out

Italian “in biblioteca” can describe either studying or going there. Japanese uses で for the action and に for the destination; existence also uses に.

Try it yourself

1. 本ほん＿読よみます。（を／に）

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   を

   を marks 本 as the thing read.

2. 図書館としょかん＿勉強べんきょうします。（で／に）

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   で

   で marks the library as the place of study.

3. 庭にわ＿猫ねこがいます。（に／で）

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   に

   に marks the garden as the location where the cat exists.

4. コーヒー＿好すきです。（が／を）

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   が

   が marks coffee as the thing liked with 好きです.

Use it today

Read each sentence, identify the role of the noun and select the particle.