Comments on: Particles: the difference between WA and GA

By: kyogokudo

kyogokudo — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 03:19:47 +0000

I did so ;D u can get it here: http://www.embedupload.com/?d=7YHUCBQGIL

By: kyogokudo

kyogokudo — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:23:09 +0000

Ok, now i’m gonna make a .pdf of all this stuff and sell it over 9k!!!

that’s how industry works, isn’t it?

dohohoho~~

By: Alberto

Alberto — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:43:48 +0000

Dear Nihonshock,
can you give me further informations about particle が , the last meaning, that is, “but” or “despite”?
Thanks 　

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 03:16:29 +0000

I wish there was a pdf version. n_n

By: Frances

Frances — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:44:50 +0000

Thank you so much for this! I’ve been trying to understand the difference between these particles and this helped greatly!

By: Bahare

Bahare — Fri, 13 May 2011 13:40:43 +0000

you have the BEST SITE EVER!!! i’m learning Japanese using the internet. you rock!

By: Jake

Jake — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 08:43:18 +0000

I got a headache looking at this. But this is most likely why I keep seeing that は and が　are dependent on context. Because it really is.

By: jamal

jamal — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:50:05 +0000

I am starting to wonder if Ga can be translated loosely into meaning “is/am the one”. For example -> Kinoo wa Watashi ga byooki deshita. <- Speaking of yesterday, I was the one sick. I think this definition of "is the one" may help beginners like me.

By: ナンシー

ナンシー — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 05:02:47 +0000

Sorry the above second paragraph should also have the example 東京にいる I exist in Tokyo. You could also say something like 私の家は東京にあります。My house is in Tokyo, my house exists in Tokyo.
You can’t use で here because your house existing is not an action, the same goes for you living in Tokyo and you existing in Tokyo, they are not considered to be ACTIONS.

By: ナンシー

ナンシー — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 04:55:22 +0000

@Rina and Noli,

The difference between に and で is very simple. で (in this context, I don’t mean for other things like in the usage 一人で), is where an ACTION takes place, for e.g. 日本で生まれました　or 東京で買い物に行きました。
I was born in Japan (ACTION) or I went shopping in Japan (ACTION)

にdescribes the direction of something or where something or someone exists/lives. 買い物に行きます　or 東京に住んでいます. I go shopping or I live in Tokyo, I exist in Tokyo. If you want to say you DID something in Tokyo then you would use 東京で—-

As for the difference between にand へ、You can replace へwith に but you can’t always replace に with へ。　The reason for this is because while both suggest direction, にimplies a clear direction and end location while へis more vague, in the general direction of something. Also, にcan be use when you go somewhere with a PURPOSE while へis more vague.

For example, 映画館（えいがかん）に行きます
映画館へ行きます。
I go to the movie theatre. Both へand に state the DIRECTION you are moving in, i.e. where you are going so both can be used in this situation – there is no purpose here, you may be going to watch a movie there or you might be going to meet a friend at the theatre location to go have dinner elsewhere.

If you wanted to give PURPOSE, you would say: 映画を見に行きます。 I go to see a movie/I will go see a movie. The に in this instance cannot be replace by へ because this sentence states a PURPOSE, not a direction.

The same can be said for the previous example I gave above. 東京で買い物に行きます。 This sentence states your PURPOSE, the thing you will be doing/do when you are in Tokyo. So the ACTION takes place in Tokyo(で）and the PURPOSE of your movements/direction is to go shopping (に).

This is just a simple explanation of the particles で、に、and へ, and doesn’t got into the depth of what で can do in other situations, but I hope it helps when you’re trying to distinguish between the three.

Good luck with your studies!