は and が: topic and subject
Notice what is being discussed and what information is being introduced.
は marks a topic: the thing the following comment is about. 私は学生です introduces a comment about the speaker. は can also signal a contrast. It is pronounced wa when used as a particle.
が marks the subject in many patterns and is useful when identifying or introducing something: 猫がいます, there is a cat. The full distinction depends on context. Avoid treating は and が as two interchangeable translations of the English subject position.
Examples
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- わたしwatashiI
- はwatopic markerPronounced wa. Marks what the following comment is about; it is not the word “is”.
- がくせいgakuseistudent
- です。desuam / is / are (polite)The same です is used with different people.
Japanese does not require a separate word for English “a” or “the” in this pattern.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- こうえんkouenpark
- にnilocation of existence
- ねこnekocat
- がgasubject markerMarks the subject in this pattern; it has no separate English word here.
- います。imasuthere is (person or animal; polite)
English puts “there is” first; Japanese places the existence verb at the end.
How the words match
Tap a word in either language to see its partner. Some phrases work as a group; particles explain the grammar.
- だれdarewho
- がgasubject markerMarks the subject in this pattern; it has no separate English word here.
- きますkimasucome / will come (polite)English “is coming” is a natural translation here; the Japanese form is nonpast.
- か。kaquestion markerMakes this a question. English may change its word order or add an auxiliary instead.
Keep in mind
A topic can be omitted when it is clear; repeating 私は in every sentence is often unnecessary.