Questions tagged [particle-は]
助詞「は」. Indicates the topic of a sentence or shows contrast in the universe of discourse.
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Changing を to は in negative statements
I've got confused and have a few questions:
In some situations speaker is obligated to change the particle e.g. answering yes/no questions.
Question: あなたはくじにひこうきにのりますか。(A)
Answer: いいえ、わたしはくじ ...
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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'?
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2answers
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What could a phrase like アルコールはダメなんだ possibly mean?
The phrase アルコールはダメなんだ is from a manga I read, in which a guy responds to his friend when being asked if he wants a beer. He appears not to be into alcohol, even goes so far to say that "I don't like ...
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2answers
104 views
Is there any rule to indicate when “circumstantials” of time can be the topic (marked with は) of the sentence?
In Spanish there is something called circumstantials which indicate time, place, means, cause, etc where an action is done. For example, in English a circumstancial of time could be translated as "in ...
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0answers
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Why is there sometimes a は used in conjugated, negative, formal i-adjectives? [duplicate]
A few times now, I have seen a negative i-adjective with a は in between the く and the ありません. I have seen it usually present when it is a response to a question. Like the example below.
いいえ、車は赤くはありません。...
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1answer
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Question about the phrase 心配いりません
I came across the phrase 心配いりません and from what I understand it means "Dont worry". It is formed by using the する-verb 心配 (worry) and いる (to be needed). What I don't understand is why there is no ...
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1answer
110 views
誰はしました。Who did it?
I'm aware that する is the Japanese verb "To do". In order to conjugate this verb using the Ta form for past tense we of course just replace する with し and add our polite form ます with the た to make しました, ...
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1answer
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A question about the usage of ては and ても
Why can't use も or は in the following sentence:
易しい質問に答えられなくて（は・も）、とても恥ずかしかった。
In the case of ても, I was told it probably has to do with 逆条件.
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3answers
155 views
Can は imply more than just topic?
On https://www.wasabi-jpn.com/japanese-grammar/ha-vs-ga-five-points-you-need-to-know/ there is this sentence:
オレンジは好き
It’s explained as “this indicates that you like oranges, but don’t like other ...
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3answers
171 views
Sentence topic without grammatical function
From here:
このスポーツは、海の上を走る水上オートバイから足に付けたボードにホースで水を送って、ボードから出る水の強い力で空中を飛びます。
In this sport you fly through the air using the force of water ejected from a board attached to the feet. Water is sent ...
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1answer
48 views
Confusion about omitted “object” with 有する
I just read this clause (as a definition of 独特):
そのものだけが有していること。
I first understood it in a way, that "[Something] has only this thing.", instead "Only this thing has [something]".
Now I'm kind of ...
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2answers
165 views
は with 好き exception?
I'm studying japanese, and found this phrase:
漢字を書くのが嫌いだけど読むのは好きです。
I was thought that the particle that is always with 好き is が but in this case is は, is there an explanation for this???
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2answers
153 views
What is the purpose of はある in this sentence?
顔の大きさの半分はあるであろう大きなマスク。(source)
I've been told that this sentence is describing the size of the mask being half the size of the face, Can't we simply say 「顔の大きさの半分であろう大きなマスク」 instead?
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0answers
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Confusion on は being used [duplicate]
So the sentence is " そういう相手は力で叩き潰して教えるに限る" which translates to "people like you need to be crushed by force." I'm confused on why it isn't written as"そういう相手を"。If は is used could it also be translated ...
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0answers
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Trouble with 出ては消え in this sentence [duplicate]
I think I understand the meaning thanks to the context, but I don't understand why the first verb is in te form and the second in masu stem after a は particle(i.e.,I don't understand the structure ...
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1answer
102 views
Should emphasis follow the copula or move to the topic marker?
I recently tried machine translated the following:
This is amazing. This is amazing.
And was surprised when the result was:
これは素晴らしいです。これは素晴らしいです。
I kind of expected the second example to come ...
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1answer
78 views
What do ほかには and ほかのは mean?
What do ほかには and ほかのは mean? How are they different from one another?
And why is に used in ほかに? Is there an explanation for it or is it just naturally said? Thanks!
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2answers
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What is the difference between “を” and “は”? Can I say both “お茶を飲みます。” and “お茶は飲みます。”?
I'm aware that I can say "お茶を飲みます。" (with the particle "を") to convey the meaning "I drink tea." in the sense of indicating that an action is taking place.
However, I'd like to know if I can also say ...
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1answer
107 views
Why do we need “は” in “とは思う”
I do not know the grammatical meaning of "は" and when to add a "は" in between the quotative particle and the verb, namely "とは思う".
Here is the example sentence without "は",
...
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2answers
769 views
「は」と「を」の違いは何ですか。
私の日本語の本によると、「を」の代わりに「は」を使う事が出来ます。でも、いつ使えますか。ニュアンスは何が変わりますか。
例えば:
肉を食べますか → 肉は食べますか。
子供たちはカレーを作っている。→ カレーは子供たちが作っている。
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1answer
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Function of particles の and は in this sentence
A girls tells this to her friend:
このまま帰ってまた何日も会えなくなるのは嫌です
What are these particles doing here? は is being used to emphasize, to be the topic marker or the contrastive marker? My guess is that is ...
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2answers
133 views
は after adverbs
I don' understand what it means/adds on these sentences, since there's an adverb before them and the particle can be omitted and it still makes sense
今は...しない
目の前でこんなに弱られたら誰だって少しは優しくなりますよ
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5answers
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Why does 悪く(は)ない give a condescending feeling?
I thought it just meant "It's not bad" but I read some comments from Japanese people who said that it can sound too condescending or like the speaker feels superior to the listener. Why is that? In ...
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1answer
70 views
How can I tell if a は is the particle は and therefore should be pronounced わ?
On page 82 and 83 of Japanese for Busy People II (third edition), there's the following sentence (written mainly in kana with only a small amount of kanji)
ミルズ：ええ。じつはちょっとねつがあるんです。さっき薬を買ってきて飲んだんですが…。（...
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1answer
196 views
に->には / で->では etc
My question is kinda simple (I hope).
When somebody asks you, for example:
学生りょうにＴＶがありますか。
Can you answer:
台所にはありますが、部屋にはありません。
Or do you use:
台所にありますが、部屋にはありません。
Can you also explain ...
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1answer
653 views
About は particle and the 'contrast' it implies
I started learning Japanese about 2 months ago and today, while talking with a friend of mine who has been studying Japanese for about two years, he gave me this example scenario about は particle and ...
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2answers
99 views
Confused when determining the correct subject with 思います [duplicate]
I met the following sentence :
あなたのお母さんは私が好きじゃないと思います
I think your mother doesn't like me.
As far I can tell, あなたのお母さん is the subject or topic marker of the sentence. But at the end of the ...
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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 ...
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1answer
77 views
Deconstructing this format: AことはBことがあります
I was doing an N5 test, and this construction came up:
山田さんは大変いいひとですよ。(Context)
何も悪いことは聞いたことがありません。(Construction in question)
While I understand the meaning alright (Nothing bad about 田中さん was ...
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1answer
112 views
Would someone mind checking my translation of -だか and a contrastive は?
If anyone is willing, I'd like to check my reading of the following sentence:
ところが夜だかは、ほんとうは鷹の兄弟でも親類でもありませんでした。
"However, for a number of nights, there is a lie that [he] is a family member or even ...
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3answers
281 views
Does 私は地震が怖い make sense?
私は地震が怖い。
For me that's like saying 私は彼がきれいです.
It doesn't make sense putting 私 here.
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1answer
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Is writing the “wa particle” as は a modern convention?
Recently, I was given a copy of Complete Course of Japanese Conversation-Grammar by Oreste and Enko Elisa Vaccari. As it dates back to 1967, I was expecting at least a few things to be a bit old-...
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2answers
124 views
What is the inheritance order of も and は topics?
Can a topic that is identified via the も particle be included in a は topic that comes AFTER it?
e.g. Two sequential sentences from a book I'm reading:
1st Sentence: ほかの鳥は、もう、よだかの顔を見ただけでも、...
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1answer
139 views
4x“は” as Contrast Marker
Is the following sentence O.K.?
そのようなブラシ付モーターが、
高い回転数領域では、確かに、優れた出力性能は発揮しますが、
惜しい事に、定常作動に於いては、結局、十分な静的性能は発揮しないという結果となります。
I am using for times "は" as contrast marker to indicate two contrasts.
...
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1answer
182 views
Proper Use of “は” and “が” Noun
I am really despairing. Recently, I was forwarded a link by
my Japanese colleague. It is about the proper use of "は" and "が".
https://www.alc.co.jp/jpn/article/faq/03/19.html
What is stated here, ...
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2answers
95 views
Why is this は positioned like that here?
For full context:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/2018_0202.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-closeup_002
The sentence in question:
山田さんによると、八王子は何度か大規模な火災に見舞われ、戦時中は大規模な空襲も受けたことから、...
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1answer
154 views
I don't understand why my は was changed to a に when a native corrected my sentence
My sentence: 彼はこれを出来るなら僕は矢っ張り出来る
Correction: 彼にそれが出来るなら、僕にもできる
I can understand the rest of the changes, but why はー＞に ? All they said was that it sounded more natural but they weren't sure why. ...
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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 ...
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1answer
259 views
tamago o yoku tabemasu
tamago o yoku tabemasu.
kudamono wa amari tabemasen.
Why for the first sentence with tamago, the particle "o" is used
where as for the second sentence with kudamono, particle "wa" is used?
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1answer
90 views
Difference between ”が”はじまる and ”は”はじまる [duplicate]
I asked my teacher why is "が”はじまる instead of ”は”はじまる. She said "が” is always put before はじまる. But she said there are circumstances that ”は” is put before はじまる too. She said there are rules meanwhile ...
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1answer
82 views
Particle は seems like it should be を in this sentence
So I'm translating this song (https://www5.atwiki.jp/hmiku/pages/31606.html) and the particle usage in a line confused me:
チョコレート中毒さ それはもう大変な (this is just for context)
Chocolate poisoning, it's ...
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1answer
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Inferred particles - should I infer は or に in this sentence?
I was translating this song (https://www5.atwiki.jp/hmiku/pages/31606.html) and there was a line that didn't make sense without an inferred particle, but I'm not sure which particle to infer.
(...
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1answer
90 views
Particle usage of は and が in this sentence
I had some particle trouble translating these lines:
四月の魚は風が吹いて
長い髪が揺れている
The first two lines seem to go together in one sentence, but then there would be too many particles. I have it as "The ...
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vote
2answers
107 views
What is the purpose of では in this context [duplicate]
Person A: どんな ときに しゅくだいを する ことが できませんか?
Person B: きょうしつで とか かいしゃでは できません。
I understand what 「で」is doing (indicating the place) but what about 'wa' in this case?
thanks in advance
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2answers
59 views
Is it OK to promote an object as the topic and change all relevant verbs to passive forms?
Once I have thrown an opponent to the ground and if I push his elbow outward, he will automatically lie face down to counter his pain.
相手は投げられてから、外側に肘を押されると、痛くならないように自動にうつ伏す。
Is it OK to promote ...
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1answer
479 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 ...
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1answer
275 views
Indicating time in Japanese: に、は、or no particle?
This is my first question on Japanese Stackexchange. よろしくお願いします！
The following example sentence made me wonder about the placement of particles after time expresssions:
先生は週末は何をしますか。
I came up with ...
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1answer
121 views
What does これには mean in this sentence? [closed]
「私って元来遊び人なのかもと妙に納得しつつ、もう一つ新たに開設された「脳内フェチイメージ」にチャレンジしたら、これには腰を抜かさんばかりの驚きでありました。」's「これには」
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1answer
967 views
when to use 〜の中で、中には
I think I answered this question for myself while writing it, but maybe someone can confirm: When to use 「の中で」 versus 「の中には」or something similar to mean "among X"?
For example, I pulled this ...
7
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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
