particle N5 essential casualpolitewritten

が — the subject particle

が

Meaning

marks the grammatical subject — who or what performs the action or exists, often as new or asked-for information

が presents information as new or singled-out: it answers "which one?" and points to the subject as the focus. This is the flip side of topic-は (known information), which is why beginners hesitate between them.

Key sentence

鳥とりが飛とんでいる。

A bird is flying.

Formation

Attaches to	Form	Example
Noun	N + が	雨あめが降ふる

Examples

公園こうえんに猫ねこがいる。

There's a cat in the park.

subject of existence

私わたしは日本語にほんごが分わかる。

I understand Japanese.

object of わかる is marked が

冷つめたい水みずが欲ほしい。

I want cold water.

object of 欲しい is marked が

「誰だれが来きたの？」「弟おとうとが来きた。」

"Who came?" "My brother came."

the asked-for answer takes が

When you can't use it

The subject inside a relative or subordinate clause is marked が (or の), never は: 妹いもうとが作つくったケーキ (the cake my sister made), not ×妹は作ったケーキ. は belongs to the main clause's topic.

Easily confused with

はが marks the subject / new information ("it is X that…"); は marks the topic / known information ("as for X…"). が identifies, は presents. The central particle decision in Japanese.

See が in real sentences

Jengo shows が the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.

Study it in Jengo

Sources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.

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