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How to choose a particle

Look at what the word before the particle does in the sentence: is it the topic, the object of an action, a place, or a time? One rule and one example for each group.

Start the quiz228 questions · mixed

は・が

は sets the topic; が marks the subject. Use が for the thing that exists in an existence sentence, and for what you want, like or are good at (ほしい・好き・じょうず).

私はリンです。I'm Lin.

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を

Marks the object of a transitive verb. Intransitive verbs, and あります・います, don't take を.

本を読みます。I read a book.

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に

The place where something exists, the place you arrive at, and a point in time.

七時に起きます。I get up at seven.

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で

The place where an action happens, and the means or tool.

食堂で昼ごはんを食べます。I eat lunch in the cafeteria.

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と・や・も・の

と lists everything, や lists a few examples, も means “also”, の links two nouns.

私のかばんは机の上にあります。My bag is on the desk.

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から・まで

から is the starting point, まで is the end point.

九時から五時まで働きます。I work from nine to five.

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The pair people mix up most

は vs が

Topic or subject, and when が is required.

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Then practice228 questions, mixed. Pick one to see why.