Discourse particles : WA, MO, SHIKA ... Case Marking particles : GA, O, NO, DE ... Connective particles : GA, TO ... Sentence particles : KA, NEE, NE, YO ...
Topicalization: a grammatical process of singling out a definite element
to be commented on [almost any NP can be topicalized]
Kinoo kono jisho o kaimashita.
---> Kono jisho wa kinoo kaimashita.
---> Kinoo wa kono jisho o kaimashita.
Topicalized subject: often omitted if it is obvious from the context;
the focus is on the comment
Sore wa nan desu ka. (Kore wa) waapuro 'word processor' desu.
Multiple functions: topicalization/definiteness/contrast/scope of negation
Kono zasshi wa yomimasen deshita.
WA replaces subject marker GA and object marker O, and sometimes locative
marker NI, but follows others.
Nihongo ga suki desu. ---> Nihongo wa suki desu.
Sono eega o mimashita. ---> Sono eega wa mimashita.
Kanada ni mizuumi ga ooi.---> Kanada (ni) wa mizuumi ga ooi.
Kebekku e ikimasen. ---> Kebekku e wa ikimasen.
Possible word order change: topic tends to be preposed
Itsu kaimono o shimasu ka.
---> Kaimono wa itsu shimasu ka.
[topicalized/word order change]
Terebi o mimasu ga, eega o mimasen.
---> Terebi wa mimasu ga, eega wa mimasen.
[topicalized/contrastive/scope of negation]
MO replaces GA, O, and sometimes NI.
Watashi mo ikimasu. [ga]
Hon mo kaimasu. [o]
MO always follows the element to which the meaning 'too' or 'also' is
attached.
Tomodachi wa kyoo mo kimasu.
Tomodachi mo kyoo kimasu.
MO --- NEG : not --- either
Watashi mo wakarimasen.
Kore mo oishiku arimasen.
MO --- MO : both --- and
Tenisu mo gorufu mo shimasu.
Nihongo mo Furansugo mo hanashimasu.
MO - MO - NEG : neither --- nor
Jisho mo hon mo kaimasen deshita.
Kyoo mo ashita mo benkyoo-shimasen.
GA is used for an indefinite subject.
Moo sugu fuyu ga kimasu ne.
Ii shigoto ga arimasen.
Dare ga kakimashita ka?
GA is used when the subject is introduced as new information.
Dore ga oishii desu ka? Sore ga oishii desu.
Dare ga ikimasu ka? Suzuki-san ga ikimasu.
transitive verbs vs. intransitive verbs
Doa o akemashita. Doa ga akimashita.
"I opened the door." "The door opened."
Daigaku e ikimashita ga, benkyoo wa shimasen deshita.
Nihongo wa muzukashii desu ga, omoshiroi desu.
GA is often used as a filler between two sentences to avoid abruptness.
Watashi wa biiru o nomimasu ga, anata wa?
Kukkii ga arimasu ga, tabemasen ka?
Do not use TO for S + S, V + V or A + A.
tabako to haizara
*Gohan o tabemasu to koohii o nomimasu.
TO is not omitted even when more than three items are listed, except the
last one.
Terebi to bideo to waapuro (to) o kaimasu.
[N.B.]
YA '... and so forth' is also used for non-exhaustive [representative]
listing. [to be expanded later]
Shinbun ya zasshi o yomimasu.
Use WA when the subject is previously mentioned or both the speaker and
hearer recognize who/what they are talking about.
Yamada-san wa kimashita ka? Hai, (Yamada-san wa) kimashita.
Use GA when the subject is an interrogative pronoun or introduced as new
information to the hearer.
Dore ga ii desu ka? Are ga ii desu.
Tomu-san wa Nihongo ga wakarimasu.
Topic Comment
Watashi wa kuruma ga arimasen.
Topic Comment
Kyoo wa tenki ga ii desu nee.
Topic Comment
identify each hiragana irregular uses: particles wa, e, (w)o long vowels: x-ee, x-oo geminates: small tsu syllabic nasal palatalized syllables: small ya, yu, yo punctuation: ten, maru
Be aware of some discrepancies between actual pronunciation and Hiragana spelling. So do not write as you hear in dictation. Keep rules in mind and always think of the meaning of each sentence.
