Japanese particles for Polish readers

The idea

Polish uses prepositions and case, as in «w szkole». Japanese places で after 学校がっこう for a place of action; there is no one-to-one mapping. After a noun, は introduces what the sentence is about; as a particle it is pronounced “wa”. In the cat sentence, は makes the cat the topic and the rest says that it is sleeping. A time expression such as today can also become the topic with は, sometimes suggesting a contrast. を follows the thing affected by a transitive verb: water is what one drinks. In the reading sentence it marks the book as the object of reading. With movement verbs such as walk, を can mark the route or area traversed, as in walking through a park. After a destination, に marks the place reached by a movement verb such as go. After a specific clock time such as seven, に tells when the action happens. With あります or います, に marks the place where something or someone exists. で follows the place where an action happens: studying takes place at school. It also marks a means of transport or a tool: the bus is how one travels. Reading happens at the library, so the activity location takes で; existence with あります uses に.

Examples

• 猫ねこは家いえで寝ねています。The cat is sleeping at home.
• 母ははは水みずを飲のみます。My mother drinks water.
• 姉あねは駅えきに行いきます。My older sister goes to the station.
• 私わたしの友達ともだちは学校がっこうで勉強べんきょうします。My friend studies at school.
• 父ちちは図書館としょかんで本ほんを読よみます。My father reads a book at the library.
• 兄あにはバスで駅えきに行いきます。My older brother goes to the station by bus.
• これは先生せんせいのかばんです。This is the teacher’s bag.

Watch out

A topic is not always the grammatical subject. は can also mark contrast, so do not translate it mechanically as “is”. Relative expressions such as today and tomorrow normally do not take に. A place where an action happens usually takes で instead.

Try it yourself

1. 私わたし＿学生がくせいです。（は／を）

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   は

   After a noun, は introduces what the sentence is about; as a particle it is pronounced “wa”.

2. 水みず＿飲のみます。（を／に）

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   を

   を follows the thing affected by a transitive verb: water is what one drinks.

3. 駅えき＿行いきます。（に／を）

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   に

   After a destination, に marks the place reached by a movement verb such as go.

4. 学校がっこう＿勉強べんきょうします。（で／に）

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   で

   で follows the place where an action happens: studying takes place at school.

Use it today

Cover the examples. Make two new sentences using the pattern, then check them against the table.