Questions tagged [は-and-が]
「は」と「が」. The difference between the は (topic) and が (subject) particles.
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What is the difference when I swap が and は in this sentence
I want to know if my first translation of a sentence is wrong and more importantly why.
I'm using Duolingo as one of a couple tools for learning Japanese.
Today I got the sentence "The coffee ...
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は or が to describe something with an adjective
I know that は is used for general purposes when describing something with an adjective, and が is more suited for specific things, but in the examples below which sentence is correct?
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紅茶がコーヒーより美味しいと思う
A native speaker corrected a learner's sentence from
やっぱり紅茶はコーヒーより美味しいと思う
to
やっぱり紅茶がコーヒーより美味しいと思う
I think 紅茶はコーヒーより美味しい sounds perfectly natural.
Using は with 思う also seems to be commonplace which ...
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Usage of は and が in 文明が進むと、社会は複雑さを増す
文明が進むと、社会は複雑さを増す。
In this sentence,
1 - What are the reasons for using が and は particles in their respective places?
2 - Could we replace any of these two particles with the other one? If yes, how ...
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ハムとチーズが山型パンで、ほうれん草がチャバタです
In this conversation (video clip):
店員：お決まりですか？
客１：私はハムとチーズで山型パン
店員：はい
客２：じゃ私はほうれん草をチャバタでお願いします。
店員：はい、ありがとうございます。
店員：お願いします
オーナー：はい
店員：ハムとチーズが山型パンで、ほうれん草がチャバタです。
オーナー：はい、お願いします。
I am not sure why が ...
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は・が in 犬が死んだ and 犬は死んだ
犬が死んだ
犬は死んだ
は is typically used to mark something already in context as the topic. Would that be equivalent to "The dog died" since "The" typically marks something know?
が is a ...
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は in 名詞節 (content clauses)
I'm not sure what I'm missing here, but
来年の１月には３５歳になりますが、サッカーは年齢じゃないということを証明していきたいですし、若い選手に負けないように頑張りたいと思います。(source)
我々はお荷物じゃないことを証明しよう。
Aren't those 名詞節? Is the rule about は not occurring in ...
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...はいい＝not needed ≠...がいい? Does ...はいい have no subject?
I am trying to ask a question with several linked open ends at once.
いい has the meaning that something is not needed. It seems to be related to the distinction of は vs が. For example here is a ...
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In the sentence, "母がすしを作ります。", why do we use が instead of は?
My book sentence: 母がすしを作ります。
I consulted another book, which states:
The case particle ga can mark the subject of the sentence. However, when the subject noun is also treated as the topic of the ...
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What nuance does the が particle add in the following sentence? At what time would each sentence be more appropriate?
両親は結婚した時、どこにも行きませんでした。
VS
両親が結婚した時、どこにも行きませんでした。
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割り切れないのが～：割り切る＋のは／のが
This is going to be a bit lengthy so please bear with me. I'll start with an excerpt from a game that has sparked this whole fiasco and sent me on a wild goose chase:
ゼロス「...
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Difference in sentences using は+が vs は+は
So I've come across these two sentences:
雨は降っていますが、雪は降っていません
and
雨は降っていません。雪が降っています。
so what i think is happening is that the first sentence shows contrast.
in the first sentence, we simply ...
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が vs. は in のが/のは...である cleft-sentence structure
The following is a sentence from the Japanese Wikipedia article about Berlin:
ベルリンという名称が歴史的文書で最も古く遡れるのが1244年である。
I understand the sentence, but I would have expected 遡れるのは here instead of 遡れるのが, ...
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は versus が in this sentence
In the Genki 1 textbook, the question prompt
本を読んでいる人は誰ですか？
appears alongside an illustration with a bunch of people doing different activities. The textbook user is then supposed to pick out a ...
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Can が be replaced by something else in this structure?
So reviewing basic grammar I've come across a structure where you use は and が to show contrast in the following way:
(私は)土曜日は暇ですが、日曜日は忙しいです。
This sentence sounds right to me, but it would sound ...
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Conflicting rules for when to use は vs が
I came across this video on the difference that I found particularly helpful, but there was a special case not addressed in the video that I was curious about. I will summarize the video here as I ...
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は vs が in neutral sentences
I have a couple of situations I was hoping someone could help me understand if が or は is more appropriate in the following situations.
Scenario A: Describing what a person is doing.
You are by ...
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difference when using は and が with てくれる structure
So, I think that I'm not alone when it comes to being confused about when は and が are supposed to be used, but here I would like to ask about a specific example
浅野君は（私に）かわいい手袋を編んでくれた
x
浅野君が（私に）...
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Usage of が in this paragraph
Once again I have been stumped over the usage of particles in a passage from my textbook.
先生: 最近、アメリカでも魚や豆腐を食べている人が増えてきたらしいです。
学生: はい。
先生: アメリカでも、ヘルシーな食べ物[が]{L}人気[が]{L}出てきたということです。
The paragraph ...
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No が in a sentence
If there's no が in a sentence, should I assume that は marks both the topic & the action-doer? It seems like that's the case every time I encounter sentences without が.
user34759
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は vs が in the following passage
ジェームズは事務所で仕事をしています。
彼は毎日とても忙しいです。
彼はお客様と多くの会議をします。
ジェームズはこのような会議は好きではありません。
彼は「お客様がとても退屈しているのでは」と思っています。
The sentence ジェームズはこのような会議は好きではありません sounds like James does not like this kind of meeting (...
user34759
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How does this passive sentence work?
I'm confused with this sentence.
顔はやや仰向きがち に、天の栄光をながめやる 目が、深くやすらか にみひらかれて いた。
I would like to understand how it's constructed.
I think 目 is the passive subject of みひらかれて いた as が is its particle, ...
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Does the sentence 『ボブは魚は好きだ』 make sense？
This question is essentially about the particle 「が」.
I saw the example sentence 「ボブは魚が好きだ」 from the textbook.
This is how I understand it:
"As for Bob, Fish that is likable is. ---> Likebale fish ...
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は and が in 私が死んだら
I just learned about が and は. I just want to say "If I died" in Japanese. So I typed it. All I see is 私が死んだら
Can I say "私は死んだら" (は is put to emphasize what comes after は. So I ...
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Using は before 欲しい instead が
I was doing some exercises and the book that I'm using translated:
I don't want shoes
to
靴は欲しくないです
I answered using が particle instead は, since, as far as I know, I should use が before 欲しい. ...
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「侵入したのが〇〇」なぜ「は」ではなく「が」でしょうか
最近この文章を見かけました。
中王国はエジプト初の外来民族の侵入によって衰退しました。侵入したのが混成民族集団ヒクソス。これがアジア方面から侵入した。
太字にした「が」は、なぜ「は」ではないのでしょうか。前の文では、ある侵入が起こったことがすで述べられたので、問題の文の目的は侵入したのは誰かということになるのではないでしょうか。したがって、その文の焦点が「侵入したの」ではなく、「...
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Why is this sentence ungrammatical? 「お寺が公園のとなりです。」
I wrote this sentence (meaning "The temple is next to the park") in my Japanese course and my teacher said it's wrong, because I was supposed to use a は instead of a が.
My understanding is that there ...
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The use of が, は and を in 私は総てを愛している
Is the を interchangeable with が in this case?
And if I say 私が総てを愛している does it mean 'I'm everything that I love'?
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Sushi wa sukidesuka vs sushi ga sukidesuka?
According to Google, I should use ga:
(Anata wa) sushi ga sukidesuka?
Why ga and not wa?
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Are there some cases where は and が are interchangeable?
I understand that は and が can be very different in meaning & emotion, and some structures require one of them. However, are there some cases where I can use either of them but the sentence remains ...
user27850
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Do we really have to change particles (usually が into は) in negative and interrogative sentences?
Which alternatives sound more natural?
1.1 - その本は読めない。
1.2 - その本が読めない。
2.1 - ゴルフは上手じゃない。
2.2 - ゴルフが上手じゃない
3.1 - この映画は見たくない。
3.2 - この映画が見たくない。
3.3 - この映画を見たくない。
4.1 - 日本語は分からない。
4.2 - 日本語が分からない。
5.1 - ...
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For phrases modifying nouns, is the subject considered part of the modifier or separate?
Oftentimes I see phrases such as this in songs and such:
僕は迷い込んだ夢の中
I always interpreted these as the first part all modifying the noun, i.e. "Inside the dream I was lost in," here. However, when I ...
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たform+こと が/は(particle) ありますか?
Continuation from my other question:
if we were asking as a question, 'みたことがありますか。' Can we use the question はparticle interchangeably? Or which to use under which circumstances? Thanks!
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は or が in the example "朝起きるとき、鳥 ( ) いつも歌います"?
Following up on my earlier question, I want to check if I've got a feel for this subordinate clause particle use correct. This is probably a duplicate, but it really helps me understand things better ...
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「は」vs 「が」 in subordinate clauses
I'm confused about「は」vs「が」 in subordinate clauses. Here are a few examples from (very basic) grammar books:
僕が 電話したとき、ナツミは もういなかった。When I called, Natsumi had already left.
弟が 日本に来たら、私は 日光に連れて行きたい。...
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は significance in ゲームは上手いですね
I'm confused by the reaction to は in this exchange
A:「ゲームは上手いですね!」
B:「ゲーム「は」.....」
source context:
http://neetsha.jp/inside/up/1/2/12840/24.jpg
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What does それが mean here?
I am reading the visual novel known as Kanon.
I'll include some context, but the final sentence is where my question is:
片隅には、白い羽の生えたリュックがあった。
(In a corner, the rucksack with white wings sprouting ...
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Should I use は or が here?
先日、同級生は飼い犬を学校に連れてきました。
彼の飼い犬はゴールデン・レトリバーで、すごく可愛かったです。
学生達に撫でられたり、甘えられたりすることがとても好きだったので、授業中に教室を走り回っていて、皆を迎えに行きました。
甘えん坊ですね～！
I posted that entry on Lang-8 and someone corrected my use ...
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A question about the particle used with potential form
As I know, when the potential form of a verb is being used, direct object particle "を" should not be used. Instead, が or は should be used. So when should we use which? For example,
富士山が 登れた
...
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は vs. が when topic is implied
I was surprised by a conversation listed in my textbook. The conversation goes like this:
A: ハンバーガーを[食]{た}べますか。
B: いいえ、ハンバーガーは[嫌]{きら}いです
As for the meaning, I believe I understand it. ("Do you eat ...
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Why が is said to be a subject marker?
In many beginner material, が is said to be a subject marker. (For example this one) However, my teacher who learnt Japanese in Japan said he has never heard such a saying.
And in his teaching, it is ...
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Yet another question on 「は」 and 「が」
Below are two excerpts from the short novel 「タクシーに乗った吸血鬼」 by Murakami Haruki:
その一
「でもね、本当に吸血鬼がいたらどうします？」
「参っちゃうだろうね」
「それだけですか？」
「いけないかな？」
「いけないですよ。信念というのはもっと崇高なもんです。山があると思えば山がある、山がないと思えば山はない」
その二
「...
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Why wa in Karaoke wa suki desu ka?
I recently came across an example in a text book
カラオケは好きですか。
and was not sure why wa was used here instead of ga?
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A complex structure: Xが～するYについて、～する者は
So I'm reading the One Punch Man manga to learn some vocabulary. I have the Portuguese translation and I compare it with my translation.
But I read something that I think is wrong in the Portuguese ...
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こども "が" ねて いますから
こどもが ねて いますから、しずかに して ください。
こどもは ねて いますから、しずかに して ください。
I know that the 2nd one is incorrect. But why? To my understanding, が is used to emphasize the subject we can hear or see, while は is rather ...
user1503
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が usage in 昨日が忙しかったです
When translating "I was busy yesterday," why is this incorrect?
昨日が忙しかったです
Isn't it the same as
私は昨日が忙しかったです
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can が be used like this？
this is a small conversation
-どこで食べる
-イタリアレストランではどう
my grammer book says that using どう usually opens up a new topic for example about the location
but if i didn't use どう and instead was stating the ...
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Why がない but はありません?
I was under the impression that は should be always used in negative sentences. Is がない an exception to this rule? Does が add something special to the negation?
仕事はありません。
仕事がない。
Do the above sentences ...
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「それがなにか」 v.s. 「それはなにか」
According to Weblio, 「それがなにか（問題）」 is similar to "So what", e.g.
I'm wondering why the topic marker 「は」, as in 「それはなに」, is not used here.
After all, "As to that, is there any thing wrong" sounds ...
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More complex sentences - When to use は? When to use が?
I know the basics about the difference in the usage between は and が.
Nevertheless, when it comes to more complex sentences, I encounter difficulties that I want to explain on base of some examples. ...
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