Today, let’s talk about something super important in Japanese: particles! ✨

If you’ve been studying Japanese for a little while, you’ve already seen them—tiny words like 「は」 (ha), 「を」 (wo), or 「で」 (de). Their job is to show what role that word plays in the sentence.

Think of them as the glue of Japanese grammar; they hold the sentence together and tell us who’s doing what, where, and how.

They’re kind of like English prepositions such as “at” or “by.” But here’s the difference: particles themselves don’t really have stand-alone meanings. Instead, they give structure and clarity to the sentence.

Once you get used to them, you’ll start hearing particles in every Japanese sentence. And the best part? Mastering them makes your Japanese sound so much smoother, and helps you understand conversations more naturally.

In this article, we’ll start with one of the most basic and essential particles: は (ha).

Let’s learn together! 😉

💡 Tip:

は always comes right after the topic, and in many simple sentences, it works like the English BE-verbs “is” or “am.”

は vs が

In addition to は, there is another particle が.
At first glance, は and が look very similar: both can mark the subject of a sentence. But the nuance is different, and knowing the difference will make your Japanese sound much more natural!

は: marks the topic, highlighting what comes after it.

Example:
この本は わたしのです。
kono hon ha watashi no desu
As for this book, it’s mine.

Focus is on mine (ownership).

が: marks the subject, highlighting what comes before it.

Example:
この本が わたしのです。
kono hon ga watashi no desu
This is the book that’s mine.

Focus is on this book (not another one).

Another example:
わたしは ひかりです。
watashi ha Hikari desu
I’m Hikari. (neutral introduction)

わたしが ひかりです。
watashi ga Hikari desu
I’m the one who is Hikari. (answering “Who is Hikari?”)

💡 Tip:
Think of は as “As for A, B is true.” (topic → comment)
Think of が as “It is A that is B.” (emphasizing subject)

わたしは 学生です。
watashi ha gakusei desu
I am a student.

これは かばんです。
kore ha kaban desu
This is a bag.

わたしは 会社員です。
watashi ha kaishain desu
I am an office worker.

これは わたしのお気に入りの本です。
kore ha watashi no okiniiri no hon desu
This is my favorite book.

ひかりさんは 日本語の先生です。
hikari-san ha nihongo no sensei desu
Hikari-san is a Japanese teacher.

日本語を学ぶのは おもしろいです。
nihongo wo manabu no ha omoshiroi desu
Learning Japanese is interesting.

このレストランは コスパがいいです！
kono resutoran ha kosupa ga ii desu!
This restaurant is great value for money!

• Grammar Point: は
• JLPT Level: N5
• Meaning: Marks the topic of a sentence; “as for ~”
• Quick Explanation:  は is one of the most essential particles in Japanese. It marks the topic: what the sentence is mainly about.
  

So that’s how we use は in Japanese!

It’s one of the most basic but also one of the most important particles: you’ll see it everywhere.

Once you get used to spotting particles, Japanese sentences will suddenly feel much clearer. Look at lots of example sentences and let yourself get familiar step by step! 🌸

Now it’s your turn: try making your own sentences with は and see how naturally you can use it in your daily Japanese! ✨

So keep going, and let’s enjoy the journey together! 💪✨

Your Sensei,

Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫

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