助詞 · mini course
Get the particle right
Particles are where N5 and N4 grammar marks go. Seven rules, then ten questions per level, each with the reason — and what the tempting wrong answer gets wrong.
The seven rules
- を: the thing the action is done to. を marks the object of an action verb — what you eat, read, buy. It also marks the place you leave or move along: 家を出る, 道を歩く.
- に: a point — in time, in space, or a person. に pins something to a point: a clock time or date (7時に), a destination (学校に行く), where something is (つくえの上にある), or the person on the other end of an action (友だちに会う, 先生に聞く).
- で: where it happens, and what with. で marks the place where an action takes place (図書館で勉強する), the means or tool (バスで, はしで), and a cause (雨で中止になる).
- に or で? Being somewhere vs doing something there. If the verb says something exists or stays — ある, いる, 住む — use に. If it describes an activity — 勉強する, 働く, 食べる — use で. The place word is the same; the verb decides.
- が: the subject — and the thing you like, can do, or understand. が marks the subject, especially new information and the answer to "who?" (だれが来た?). It also marks the object of すき, きらい, じょうず, わかる and できる, and the subject of intransitive verbs: ドアが開いている.
- と: with, and, and quoting. と means "together with" (友だちと行く), joins a complete list (くつとかばん), and marks what someone says or thinks: 雨がふると思う.
- から, まで, までに: from, until, by. から is the starting point, まで the end point ("until"). までに is a deadline — "by": 金曜日までに出す means any time up to Friday.