Questions tagged [は-and-が]
「は」と「が」. The difference between the は (topic) and が (subject) particles.
2
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1answer
91 views
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'?
0
votes
2answers
142 views
Sushi wa sukidesuka vs sushi ga sukidesuka?
According to Google, I should use ga:
(Anata wa) sushi ga sukidesuka?
Why ga and not wa?
2
votes
1answer
159 views
Are there some cases where は and が are interchangable?
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
91 views
Do we really have to change particles (usually が into は) in negative and interrogative sentences?
Which alternatives sounds 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。
...
2
votes
2answers
114 views
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 ...
0
votes
1answer
69 views
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!
0
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4answers
242 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
482 views
「は」vs 「が」 in subordinate clauses
I'm confused about「は」vs「が」 in subordinate clauses. I do appreciate there are inumerable questions on this subject, but to go through all of them hoping to find the exact answer I want would take ...
7
votes
3answers
187 views
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
2
votes
1answer
562 views
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
119 views
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
climb ...
3
votes
2answers
165 views
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 ...
2
votes
1answer
380 views
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 ...
5
votes
3answers
115 views
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。...
5
votes
2answers
417 views
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?
1
vote
1answer
208 views
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
152 views
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 ...
1
vote
1answer
250 views
が usage in this sentence
When translating 'I was busy yesterday'
Why is
昨日が忙しかったです
Incorrect?
Isn't the same as
私は昨日が忙しかったです
0
votes
1answer
48 views
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 ...
4
votes
2answers
324 views
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 ...
6
votes
1answer
235 views
「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 ...
5
votes
1answer
307 views
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. ...
7
votes
1answer
259 views
は vs が in 私は言うように書いてください。
I have the following sentence in my anki app:
Please write it down as I tell you.
私は言うように書いてください。
However my instincts tell me this should not be は but が. Am I correct?
3
votes
2answers
377 views
は、が、を、に and information structure of Japanese Question
I read 日本語の助詞(情報構造） and from what I understand it says:
What comes before は is old information and after it it's new information. (This makes sense to me).
What comes before が is new information (...
2
votes
2answers
146 views
Difference between two sentences
魚が好きな人。
人は魚が好きだ。
What is the difference between these two sentences?
0
votes
1answer
135 views
Why does は change the entire sentence?
魚は好きな人。
Fishes like people
魚が好きな人。
Person that likes fish
Although I know the definition of both sentences it is very confusing to me, why が works and は doesn't.
1
vote
2answers
150 views
How do the は and が function here?
受験生は夏休みが勝負なのよ?
So since there is no verb here, how do the は and が function here?
2
votes
2answers
358 views
The song 「雪が降る」 by アダモ goes --> ♪♪ 雪は降る あなたは来ない … ♪♪
ADAMO, [Tombe la neige]
The song 「雪が降る」 by アダモ goes --> ♪♪ 雪は降る あなたは来ない ... ♪♪
Is there a good explanation for the difference between the title and how the song begins? -- 雪が vs. 雪は ...
...
6
votes
3answers
388 views
Use は or が with ある when the phrase doesn't explicit the place
I'm studying japanese from not that long and a doubt came to my mind studying ある and いる verbs, so sorry in advance if the question isn't clear.
If we take those two phrases as example:
A. ...
7
votes
2answers
403 views
は and が usage in a weird case
I know that there are tons upon tons of resources on this question because I did a thorough search in google before this post but they don't seem to address my case. I saw this used in a tutorial that ...
4
votes
1answer
133 views
〇〇さん「は・が」いらっしゃいますか？
I found this sentence on https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E3%81%84%E3%82%89%E3%81%A3%E3%81%97%E3%82%83%E3%82%8B and it struck me as odd.
山田【やまだ】さんがいらっしゃいますでしょうか。
Listening to my co-workers (...
6
votes
3answers
242 views
Can someone verify the reasons I give for using a “wa” and “ga” in this sentence?
私の生みの母は、若い未婚の日本人だったため、私を養子に出そうと決心したのです。彼女がこだわったのは、私の養子先は日本に住んでいる家族でなければ、ということでした。
The highlighted "は" looks to be there for thematic reasons?
The highlighted "ga" looks to be there for neutral ...
1
vote
2answers
133 views
In a sentence that ends with a verb, when could “が” modify a 3rd person pronoun?
3rd person pronouns (both English and Japanese) and the particle "は" have a commonality. For pronouns (jp & eng) antecedent must exist in the conversation. An "antecedent" is what the pronoun ...
6
votes
2answers
260 views
は and が with 何 & こそあど
One of my textbooks said that you cannot use the particle は with 何 and undefined words of the こそあど.
Yet I'm sure I've heard これは何ですか。 many times before, and これが何ですか。 sounds unnatural to me.
What is ...
8
votes
1answer
132 views
On the usage of 「は」 and 「が」 in a poem by 谷川俊太郎
In a poem named 「生きる」 by 谷川俊太郎, the poet described "to live" with many instances.
In the instances put forward in the penultimate stanza, the poet put 「が」 after the subjects, such as in 「犬が吠える」, 「...
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votes
0answers
51 views
The difference between wa and ga [duplicate]
I am aware that both are to be but i have trouble figuring out which one is appropriate for which sentence. Would one be for stating a fact about oneself and the other be for an action？
6
votes
1answer
414 views
Why is が used here?
I still have trouble with the は and が particles.
ほどなくして神様達はこの下界に住み付いた。多くの神様達が永住することを決めたらしい。
Why does が have to be used here?
What difference would it make if it were replaced with は instead?
3
votes
2answers
449 views
Is は used when asking if something already discussed exists?
If I've talked about a thing before, and want to ask whether or not it exists in another place (or time), would I use "は"?
For example, if I said "In Sydney, I saw a ryokan. Are there ryokans in ...
2
votes
2answers
252 views
明日が/明日は, what's the difference?
I know it's a complicated grammar concept that even Japanese don't fully get, but I'd like to know what's the difference between
明日は火曜日です
and
明日が火曜日です
They way I understand it, in the second ...
18
votes
3answers
1k views
私は猫が好き and 猫は私が好き
I'm an absolute beginner. I've learned Japanese in my spare time for less than two months. This is my first question here. Even though I think this question is potentially trivial, it's perhaps the ...
12
votes
1answer
2k views
って vs が. JLPT question
I'm looking through JLPT N3 questions and have come across this one:
A: ねえ （ ） どんなひと？
B: とても親切でいい人だよ
The possible answers are:
田中さんが
田中さんで
田中さんって
田中さんでも
Number 4 makes no sense at ...
2
votes
1answer
316 views
Confusion between は and が
The following is an exercise from Tae Kim's Guide.
I have to pick は or が to fill in the blanks:
ジム）アリス ____ 誰？
ボブ）友達だ。彼女 ____ アリスだ
I think we should use は after アリス in the first sentence, ...
10
votes
3answers
834 views
Problems with は and が
Consider:
[A] 猫が好きだ
To me this means [A']"I like cats."
Contrast this to:
[B] 猫は好きだ
To me this means [B']"I like cats (among other animals)"
I based my understanding of [B] from Derek ...
163
votes
5answers
27k views
What's the difference between wa (は) and ga (が)?
When is it correct to use は but not が, and when is it correct to use が but not は? Are there any times when you can use either without changing the meaning of the sentence? How does switching change ...
