#12 The Topic Marker "は" in Japanese Part1
This time we're diving into something that many Japanese learners find tricky—the particle "は" used to indicate the topic of a sentence. To really understand it, you’ll need to get to grips with the structure of Japanese sentences and what particles are, so it’s not exactly a light topic. If you’re someone who has a feel for it already, or if you’re more focused on just being able to speak without worrying about all the complex details, this might not be the best read for you. Just a heads-up! Right, let’s get started!
What is the Basic Structure of a Japanese Sentence?
I won’t jump straight into explaining the particle 「は」 just yet. One of the goals of this article is to cover things that can’t always be explained fully in a limited-time Japanese class. So, while it might feel a bit tedious, let’s go over the basics first! It’ll make everything clearer as we move forward.
It’s Really Simple! Only Three Patterns!
Yes, just like the heading says—it’s super simple. There are only three types of sentences. One is centred around verbs, the second around adjectives, and the third around nouns. That’s it! These three make up the foundation of Japanese sentences.
I’m sorry, but for a deeper dive into what verbs, adjectives, and nouns are, I recommend looking them up or asking your Japanese teacher for more information. 😊
Once you get the hang of these three patterns, building sentences will become much easier!
Let’s take a look at some specific examples!
【Verb Sentences】
彼(かれ)が レストランで カレーライスを 食(た)べる。
He eats curry rice at the restaurant.私(わたし)が 友(とも)だちと 公園(こうえん)へ 行(い)く。
I go to the park with my friend.
【Adjective Sentences】
この本(ほん)が 面白(おもしろ)い。 (いAdjective)
This book is interesting.チリクラブが からい。 (いAdjective)
The chilli crab is spicy.富士山(ふじさん)が きれいだ。 (なAdjective)
Mount Fuji is beautiful.犬(いぬ)が 元気(げんき)だ。 (なAdjective)
The dog is energetic.
【Noun Sentences】
彼女(かのじょ)が 先生(せんせい)だ。
She is a teacher.私(わたし)が トムだ。
I am Tom.
How is it? It’s simply about dividing sentences based on whether the final word is a verb, adjective, or noun. This is a simple and fundamental concept that forms the backbone of Japanese grammar.
All the Parts Explain the Last Word!
Now, let’s break down the examples a bit more. What’s common in all the verb, adjective, and noun sentences above is that the words before the final verb, adjective, or noun serve as modifiers or explanations of that final word.
Think of it like when you get dressed to go out. You put on clothes, carry a bag, wear a hat—you’re adding layers of detail. The same thing happens in Japanese sentences! All the words before the final one are "accessories" or "decorations" that build up and give context to the final, important word in the sentence.
I'll assign numbers to each part!
【Verb Sentences】
①彼(かれ)が ②レストランで ③カレーライスを 食(た)べる。
He eats curry rice at the restaurant.①私(わたし)が ②友(とも)だちと ③公園(こうえん)へ 行(い)く。
I go to the park with my friend.
【Adjective Sentences】
①この本(ほん)が 面白(おもしろ)い。 (いAdjective)
This book is interesting.①チリクラブが からい。 (いAdjective)
The chilli crab is spicy.①富士山(ふじさん)が きれいだ。 (なAdjective)
Mount Fuji is beautiful.①犬(いぬ)が 元気(げんき)だ。 (なAdjective)
The dog is energetic.
【Noun Sentences】
①彼女(かのじょ)が 先生(せんせい)だ。
She is a teacher.①私(わたし)が トムだ。
I am Tom.
Case Markers: The Symbols That Show the Role of Each Part
Now that we've identified several parts in the examples above, did you notice anything?
That’s right. You often see them in Japanese lessons, and maybe you find them a bit annoying... Yes, I’m talking about particles! 😅Haha
The particles in the examples we’ve looked at are 「が」, 「で」, 「を」, 「と」, and 「へ」.
Let’s break it down:
①彼が ②レストランで ③カレーライスを 食べる。
①私が ②友だちと ③公園へ 行く。
Thanks to these particles, you can easily understand what’s going on in each sentence:
「彼が」「私が」: Ah, these must be the people doing the eating or going.
「レストランで」: This must be where the eating happens.
「カレーライスを」: This must be what is being eaten.
「友だちと」: This is probably the person they’re going with.
「公園へ」: This is likely the place they’re heading to.
So, these particles are actually super helpful symbols that make everything clear. In fact, they save us a lot of trouble! We should be thankful for them. 😊
What Happens If We Don’t Use Particles...?
Let’s imagine what happens when we don’t use these helpful particles. Take this sentence:
「バラティエ サンジ チャーハン ギン あげた。」
If you’re a fan of the manga One Piece, you might recognise this scene from the early chapters and figure it out!😙 But, at first glance, without any particles, it’s pretty hard to understand what’s going on, right?
Now, look what happens when we add the particles:
「バラティエで サンジが チャーハンを ギンに あげた。」
Suddenly, everything becomes clear! Even if you don’t know the characters, you can understand the general meaning:
「バラティエで」: I don’t know what Baratie is, but it seems like the location.
「サンジが」: Not sure who Sanji is, but they’re the one giving something.
「チャーハンを」: I’m guessing chaahan is something being given.
「ギンに」: Not sure who Gin is, but they’re the one receiving something.
Even if you don’t know the proper nouns, you can visualise the scene thanks to the particles. This shows how crucial particles are in understanding Japanese sentences!
Hopefully, you now see the importance of particles in a sentence. They act as "case markers" (although you don’t really need to remember this term!) and help clarify the role each word plays in relation to the final verb or action.
The 9 Case Markers
In addition to the ones we saw earlier (「が」, 「で」, 「を」, 「と」, 「へ」), there are four more particles that also fall into this category:
「に」「より」「から」「まで」, making a total of nine.
Here’s a quick list of these 9 key case markers:
が ：Subject marker
を ：Direct object marker
に ：Indirect object, destination, time
で ：Location, means
と ：Companion
へ ：Direction
より ：Comparison
から ：Starting point (time, place)
まで ：Endpoint (time, place)
Each particle has more detailed meanings, but for now, these basic roles will give you a good understanding of how important and useful they are in shaping a sentence!
Summary
Wait, what!? If you were thinking, "Isn’t this article supposed to be about the particle「は」? Why hasn’t it been mentioned yet?"
Sorry about that! But hang in there for a bit longer. This foundation we’ve covered is crucial, and once you understand it, you’ll find the particle 「は」 much easier to grasp. So, no worries!
With that said, this is getting pretty long, so we’ll continue next week. Stay tuned! 😊
Thank you for reading!