Japanese Grammar Tips ~The Particles~ (6)

At last, I'm writing the final part of the tips about the particles!! ：）
Thank you guys for following me, and welcome if you're new to my blog!

Here's the list I've written about the Japanese particles.
--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
 - We Usually use は to describe things. So <AはB> is often translated as <A is B>. 
 - が is used to emphasize the subject. <AがB> can also be translated as <B is A>.
 - When we answer the questions like "who is...?" or "what is...?", it is natural to use が.
 - が has an exclusive meaning. If we say Aが, it implies that not B, C, or D, but A.
(2) が describes objectively what has happened
 - In this case, you are just a spectator who describes the situation objectively.
 - If you use は to describe happenings, then it focuses on "what someone/something did".
 - When we talk about the actions of the first and the second person, tip(1) applies.
(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が
 - が can implies the subject of the sentence would be changed.
 - On the contrary, は can't imply omitted subject.
(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence? 
 -は and が can be used in one sentence, but usually は comes before が. <AはBがC>
 - は shows the topic of the sentence and が specifies its subject.
 - It sounds incomplete if you change the latter が into は. It imply you have something more to say,
    or you compare it(B) with something else. <AはBはC>
(5) Some Japanese verbs take が to mark the direct object
 - It is common to use を to show the direct object of a verb. [OBJECT] を [VERB]
 - Some English verbs which show one's want or preference, change into adjectives in
    Japanese language, and in this case we should use が instead of を.
 - We also use が when we talk about possibility or one's ability.
(6) は can be attached to another particle
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(6) は can be attached to another particle

Today I'm going to talk mainly about some other particles: で/de/ and に/ni/.
Maybe you've seen them before, haven't you? Then maybe you also have seen では/dewa/ and には/niwa/.
The meanings of で and では are very similar. So the other pairs are. I'm not sure these pairs are the different particles respectively or the combined form like で＋は. But I'm going to explain it from a point of view that they're the combined form, since では seems to have both feature of で and は. Maybe it would be easier to understand them.

Now let's see the slight difference between them.


Ⅰ. で/de/ and では/dewa/

で simply indicates the location that something takes place.

毎日（まいにち）図書館（としょかん）で本（ほん）を読（よ）む。
I read books in a library everyday.

男（おとこ）の人（ひと）が公園（こうえん）でランニングをしている。
A man is running in the park.

It's not always the actual place like a park, hospital or a gym.

言語交換（げんごこうかん）でどうやって練習（れんしゅう）していますか？
How do you practice in a language exchange?

授業（じゅぎょう）で習（なら）ったことを復習（ふくしゅう）する。
I review what I learnt in the class.


で can also indicate tools, method, or instruments.

英語で話しましょう。
Let's talk in English.

自転車（じてんしゃ）で学校（がっこう）に通（かよ）っています。
I go to school by bike.


では sounds limited. Or, we say では instead of で to emphasize the word before it.

[1] 部屋（へや）　　で　 音楽（おんがく）を聞（き）く。
[2] 部屋（へや）　では　音楽（おんがく）を聞（き）く。

Both sentences can be translated as "I listen to the music in my room."

If I mentioned 部屋では, I limit the range of the topic to the place 部屋. The following sentence only apply in that place. In other words, [2] focuses on the first part of the sentence (words before では), while [1] just gives additional information about the place.

通学中（つうがくちゅう）も音楽（おんがく）を聞（き）いているの？

Do you listen to the music on your way to school?

いや、部屋（へや）では聞（き）くけど。

Nope, but I do in my room.

Ⅱ. に/ni/ and には/niwa/

に/ni/ usually points the directions of the action.

今（いま）すぐ病院（びょういん）に行（い）く必要（ひつよう）がある。
I need to go to a hospital right now.

家（いえ）に帰（かえ）ったら愛犬（あいけん）が出迎（でむか）えてくれる。
My dog welcomes me when I go back home.

私（わたし）に話（はな）しかけないでください。
Please don't talk to me.

Or it indicates the location of existence.

父（ちち）は家（いえ）にいない。
My father isn't at home.

机（つくえ）の下（した）にネコがいる。
There's a cat under the desk.

It seems a bit confusing because both で and に indicate the location. But remember, に is for the location of existence, while で is for the location that something takes place.

に can be used in many cases! To point the specific time, to indicate the purpose, or to mention about the agent of the passive.

8（はち）時（じ）に会（あ）いましょう。
Let's meet at 8 o'clock.

夕飯を食べにレストランに行った。
I went to a restaurant to have supper.

スリに財布（さいふ）を盗（と）られた。
My wallet was stolen by a pickpocket.


And には, same as では, it emphasizes the word before it. It changes the focus of the sentence. Or it limit the range of the topic.

妹（いもうと）: あれ？お母（かあ）さんどこにいるの？
Sister: Oh, where's mom?
兄（あに）: 家にはいないみたい。
Brother: I think she isn't at home.
It can also be translated as "As for inside this house, she isn't here." It's mentioned within the limits (inside the house).


Aで/Aに just indicate the location, but Aでは/Aには imply that we define A as the range of the topic. You know, は indicates the topic of the sentence, so Aは can be translated as "speaking of A" or "as for A". In other words, は shows the range of the topic. Do you get what I want to say...?



Let's recap!
 - は is attached to the other particles to emphasize or focuse on the words before it.
 - Or it limits the range of the topic.



The previous post's <QUIZ> answer

＞日本語の「は」と「が」の使い方 [ が ] 分かってきた。
I began to understand the usage of は and が better.

＞ようやく宿題 [ を ] 提出すること [ が ] 出来る。
After all, I can hand in my homework.



Wow, it took 2 months to finish writing all of these tips. XD The particles in Japanese are confusing, indeed. But I hope I could be of any help! Your comments or questions are always welcomed! :)

Thank you for reading!

Japanese Grammar Tips ~The Particles~ (5)

Heeyyy, I'm back!! ：） I had a great vacation in Japan!!
Now I'm coming back to Taiwan again. I can't believe it's already in the end of October, it's still hot here. But it was so cold in Japan. I caught a cold soon after getting to the airport in Japan. Well, I got it over, so don't worry about it. Anyway, let's go on!


--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
 - We Usually use は to describe things. So <AはB> is often translated as <A is B>. 
 - が is used to emphasize the subject. <AがB> can also be translated as <B is A>.
 - When we answer the questions like "who is...?" or "what is...?", it is natural to use が.
 - が has an exclusive meaning. If we say Aが, it implies that not B, C, or D, but A.
(2) が describes objectively what has happened
 - In this case, you are just a spectator who describes the situation objectively.
 - If you use は to describe happenings, then it focuses on "what someone/something did".
 - When we talk about the actions of the first and the second person, tip(1) applies.
(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が
 - が can implies the subject of the sentence would be changed.
 - On the contrary, は can't imply omitted subject.
(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence? 
 -は and が can be used in one sentence, but usually は comes before が. <AはBがC>
 - は shows the topic of the sentence and が specifies its subject.
 - It sounds incomplete if you change the latter が into は. It imply you have something more to say,
    or you compare it(B) with something else. <AはBはC>
(5) Some Japanese verbs take が to mark the direct object
(6) は can be attached to another particle
---------------------------------------------------------------

(5) Some Japanese verbs take が to mark the direct object

Maybe you've already learned the particle を/o/, which shows a direct object.
＞ ねこがうどんを食べている。 A cat is eating udon noodles.
＞ 昨日失くしたカギをトイレで見つけた。 I found the key that I lost yesterday in the bathroom.
＞ 母にバレない方法を考えよう。 Let's think about the way that we won't get caught by mom.

You see, [OBJECT] を [VERB] is the basic word order in Japanese. The subject of a sentence is often omitted if it's obvious between the speaker and the listener.

I don't want to confuse you, but I have to say that sometimes we have to use が instead of を. Well, it's not so hard to remember which verbs take が.
Some English verbs become adjectives in Japanese language. And in this case, you shouldn't use を. Let's look at some example sentences:

＞ 野球がしたい。 I want to play baseball.
＞ お金が欲しい。 I want money.
＞ 愛が必要だ。 I need love.
＞ 若い女の子が好き。 I like young ladies.

These verbs in English, "want" "need" "like", are technically adjectives in Japanese. Some people say 野球をしたい, and not a few Japanese people don't know it's grammatically wrong. Frankly, I didn't know either!

Okay, make it more simple. When we talk about our wants, we prefer to use が. What I want, what I need, what I prefer, and so on.


＞ 歌声が聞こえる。
I can hear a singing voice.
＞ 日本語の簡単な文法が分かる。
I can understand easy grammar of Japanese language.
＞ 窓から海が見える。
I can see the sea from the window.
＞ ピアノが弾ける。
I can play the piano.

Here, these sentences also use が to mark its objects. You found something in common in these sentences, did you? Right, they all have "can". This is the another case of using が instead of を. We use が when we talk about possibility and ability.







By the way, 見える is a different verb with 見る (to see/to look/to watch). 見える literally means "can be seen" or "to be visible". The speaker's volition doesn't matter. It just comes into the sight. 聞こえる(audible) is also like that.




Let's recap!
 - It is common to use を to show the direct object of a verb. [OBJECT] を [VERB]
 - Some English verbs which show one's want or preference, change into adjectives in
    Japanese language, and in this case we should use が instead of を.
 - We also use が when we talk about possibility or one's ability.






The previous post's <QUIZ> answer
You're talking about "what do you like about her", so...

○[1] あの子は目が可愛いんだ。
Speaking of that girl, her eyes are cute.
This sentence is the correct one!! ：）


×[2] あの子が目が可愛いんだ。
That girl is the one whose eyes are cute.
This sentence is talking about "WHO has cute eyes".


×[3] あの子が目は可愛いんだ。
It sounds very strange!





Today's QUIZ
Guess which is most appropriate to use, が or は or を?

＞ 日本語の「は」と「が」の使い方 [ 1 ] 分かってきた。
I began to understand the usage of は and が better.

＞ ようやく宿題 [ 2-1 ] 提出すること [ 2-2 ] できる。
After all, I can hand in my homework.
 *提出（ていしゅつ）する : to submit, to hand in



Finally, I will be able to finish this topic!! The next post would be the last one. I hope these tips can help people learn Japanese.　Feel free to leave a comment! ：） See you next time!

Japanese Grammar Tips ~The Particles~ (4)

Hey guys! I will continue this topic, but I hope these posts aren't too boring for you. X(

--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
 - We Usually use は to describe things. So <AはB> is often translated as <A is B>. 
 - が is used to emphasize the subject. <AがB> can also be translated as <B is A>.
 - When we answer the questions like "who is...?" or "what is...?", it is natural to use が.
 - が has an exclusive meaning. If we say Aが, it implies that not B, C, or D, but A.
(2) が describes objectively what has happened
 - In this case, you are just a spectator who describes the situation objectively.
 - If you use は to describe happenings, then it focuses on "what someone/something did".
 - When we talk about the actions of the first and the second person, tip(1) applies.
(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が
 - が can implies the subject of the sentence would be changed.
 - On the contrary, は can't imply omitted subject.
(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence? 
(5) Some Japanese verbs take が to mark the direct object
(6) は can be attached to another particles
* (1) ～ (3) are the posts from lang-8
---------------------------------------------------------------

(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence?

Those tip(1) to tip(3) were the revised posts from what I wrote on lang-8. I got wonderful comments there, and decided to write some additional posts on my blog. Here tip(4) is originally based on a question that I received there. (Thank you 火火!!)


As I mentioned in tip(1) to tip(3), the particle は is used to show its theme or topic of the sentence. Sometimes <AはB> can simply be translated into <A is B> in English because は shows "what it is" or "what it's like", but sometimes it seems more complicated. Here's an example:

象は鼻が長いです。

Hey, this sentence has both は and が!! Yes, you're right. But this sentence structure is quite natural in Japanese. Where's the subject of this sentence? 象(an elephant), or 鼻(a nose)? It's been a controversial sentence among linguists. So you may found many explanations about it when you googled this sentence.

I'm not going to use linguistic technical terms, because I'm not a specialist. I'm going to write about my opinion as a Japanese native speaker. I hope it will somehow help you learn Japanese.


First of all, we usually use が when we talk about a specific body parts. You may wonder why it's not は in this case. Well, frankly, I'm not sure... But I think, the feature of が is the key.

Please take a look at one of the sentences in tip(1).
＞ 彼女はクラスでいちばん可愛い。
＞ 彼女がクラスでいちばん可愛い。
You can emphasize 彼女 by using が. It specifies and highlights the subject.　So, you would have a specific, concrete image of 彼女 if you use が. Right?
So, I think, when it comes to a specific body part, unless we're not talking about general common sense, you must have a specific image of it. That's why we prefer to use が in this case.

It sounds differently if you use は to point a body part. Let's see the difference through the example conversation below:

Keiko: どうしたの？顔色が悪いよ。
What's wrong? You look pale.
Saki: ちょっとお腹が痛くて。 
My stomach hurts a bit.
Keiko: 風邪？他に具合悪いところある？頭痛は？
Have you caught a cold? Any other symptoms? Do you have a headache?
Saki: う～ん、頭は痛くないけど、喉が痛い。
Well, I don't have a headache but I have a sore throat.


Let me show you more example before its detailed explanation.
＞ 頭は痛くないけど、喉が痛い。
Speaking of a headache, I don't have it, but I have a sore throat.
＞ 彼女、スタイルは良いけど顔がちょっとタイプじゃないね。
Speaking of her figure, it's good. But her face isn't my type.
＞ 熱は無いけど、顔が赤い。
Speaking of fever, I don't have it. But my face is red.

You see? In this case, we dare to use は instead of が to imply the limited range. If one said 手はかゆい(My hands are itchy) instead of 手がかゆい, then we'd think the speaker has something more to say.



Okay, let's get back to the first example!
象は　鼻が　長いです。
Now you understood why you put が after 鼻(nose), huh? ：） 鼻が長い means "its nose(trunk) is long".
You are talking about 象(an elephant), so the theme of the sentence is 象. When we talk about the theme/feature of things, we use は ― tip(1). It can be translated as "Speaking of an elephant, its nose is long".


My friend told me that his Japanese teacher said 象は鼻は長い is wrong because we can't use は repeatedly in one sentence. Again, I'm not a Japanese teacher nor specialist, but I think we sometimes use は twice in a sentence. I don't know it's grammatically wrong or not, but we actually do.

For example, you're comparing the length of an elephant's trunk with its tail. You found its trunk is long but its tail is not. Then you'd conclude 象は鼻は長い. Haha


Yes, it just implies the limited range.
＞ 彼女はスタイルは良い。
Though she has a good figure...
Here this sentence also has two は. It sounds like an incomplete sentence. The speaker is comparing her figure and something else.



Let's look at more examples:
＞ この仕事は給料が良い。
It is a well-paid job.
Again, both は and が appeared!It literally means "Speaking of my job, its salary is good". Though 給料(salary) isn't a body part, we should use が in this case.
＞ 私の弟は学校の成績が悪い。
My brother has a bad school record. (Speaking of my brother, his school record is bad.)

To put it simply, は shows the topic of the sentence and が specifies its subject. So it sounds strange if you said この仕事が給料は良い (×). は always has a wider range than が. The topic of the sentence usually comes first.



[1] この仕事は給料は良い。（でも・・・）
It is a well-paid job. (But...)
Maybe he wants to complain something else.
[2] この仕事が給料が良い。
This job is the one which is well-paid.
The first が has an exclusive meaning, which emphasize この仕事 compared to other 仕事.
[3] この仕事が給料は良い。
I can guess what the speaker wanted to say, but this sentence is very unnatural.

Let's recap!
- は and が can be used in one sentence, but usually は comes before が. <AはBがC>
- は shows the topic of the sentence and が specifies its subject.
- It sounds incomplete if you change the latter が into は. It implies you have something more to say, or you compare it(B) with something else. <AはBはC>


The previous post's <QUIZ> answer
[2] 夫が浮気したことに怒っている。

The subject of 怒っている(be angry) is YOU, not 夫(your husband). So, you should use が to show that the subject will change. Got it?　：）



Today's QUIZ
You're talking with a friend about a girl whom you like. Your friend asked you what made you attracted to her. Which following sentence is more appropriate in this case?

[1] あの子は目が可愛いんだ。
[2] あの子が目が可愛いんだ。
[3] あの子は目は可愛いんだ。


It's a bit difficult, isn't it! Thank you for reading my blog. I always welcome your comments or questions. ：）

Japanese Grammar Tips ~The Particles~ (3)

Today I'm going to tell you tip(3).

--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
 - We usually use は to describe things. So <AはB> is often translated as <A is B>.
 - が is used to emphasize the subject. <AがB> can be translated as <B is A>.

 - When we answer the questions like "who is...?" or "what is...?", it's natural to use が.

 - が has an exclusive meaning. If we say Aが, it implies that not B, C, but A.

(2) が describes objectively what has happened
 - When we describe "what happens" or "what has happened", we use が.
 - In this case, you are just a spectator who describes the situation objectively.
 - If you use は to describe happenings, then it focuses on "what someone/something did".
 - When we talk about the actions of the first and the second person, tip(1) applies.
(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が
(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence? 
(5) Some Japanese verbs used が to mark the direct object
(6) は can be attached to another particles
* (1) ～ (3) are the posts from lang-8
---------------------------------------------------------------

(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が.

In Japanese language, the subject of the sentence is quite often omitted. It rarely happens in English unless it is a direct command, though.

Now let's see an example sentence.
＞あの男の人が警察だと気付きました。
I found that man was a police officer.
You know, this sentence is consist of 2 sentences.

私は気付きました (I found)
　　　＋
あの男の人は警察です (That man is a police officer)

　　　↓

あの男の人が警察だと気付きました

As you see, the subject 私 is omitted. And did you notice that the particle has changed? The particle が implies that the subject changes in the sentence. It doesn't always mean that this が has an exclusive meaning.

私は気付きました＋彼は警察です → 彼が警察だと気付きました。

* It doesn't have an exclusive meaning.

私は気付きました＋彼が警察です → 彼が警察だと気付きました。

* It has an exclusive meaning.

Let's have a look at another example:

＞ 花子さんは結婚したことを知っています。

Hanako knows (someone) got married.

In this sentence, the speaker didn't mention who got married. It's omitted.

We use は to describe things or features ― tip(1). We usually use が to describe happenings or actions on the other hand ― tip(2). 知っている is considered as a kind of status of the person, even though "to know" is a verb in English. So tip(1) is applied to it.

What does it sound like if I use が in this sentence?

＞ 花子さんが結婚したことを知っています。

According to tip(1), this sentence can be write as:

＞ 結婚したことを知っているのは花子さんです。

Hanako is the one who knows (someone) got married.

This が has an exclusive meaning. The speaker possibly answered the questions like "who knows that (someone) got married?", or he wants to imply that not the any other person but Hanako does.

But wait, as I said, が is also used to show that the subject changes.!

花子さんが結婚したことを知っています。

So it can also translated as "I (or someone else) know Hanako got married". In this case, the subject of 知っています is omitted. As I wrote, if it's obvious between speaker and the listener, the subject is often dropped off.

Picture this. You went shopping at the mall, and coincidentally met Hanako's ex, Mr.Tanaka. You knew Hanako never contacted him after they broke up. You found Mr.Tanaka was going to buy a women's purse, so you said:

You: あれ、田中さん、それは・・・？

Hey, Mr.Tanaka, is it...?

Mr.Tanaka: ああ、花子への結婚祝いに。

Yeah, it's a wedding gift for Hanako.

You: なんで花子さんが結婚したことを知っているんですか？

Why do you know that Hanako got married?

Mr.Tanaka: 毎日彼女のフェイスブックをチェックしているからね。

Because I check her Facebook page everyday.

＞なんで(あなたは)花子さんが結婚したことを知っているんですか？

Here, the subject of 知っている is "you" but it's omitted. You cannot use は here because は can't imply the subject of 知っている is different.

Let's recap!

- When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が.

- On the contrary, は can't imply the omitted subject.

The previous journal's <QUIZ> answer 

[2] 父が公園のベンチで寝ています。

It's natural to use が in this case, because you just describe what you saw. If you use は, you might already knew that your father is sleeping in the park, and tell others "what your father is doing" or "where your father sleeps". In other words, が shows "new" information, and は shows known information between the speaker and the listener.



<Today's QUIZ>
Which sentence is correct to describe the situation below:
You got angry because your husband  cheated on you!

[1] 夫は浮気したことに怒っている。
[2] 夫が浮気したことに怒っている。

*夫(おっと) /otto/ a husband
*浮気(うわき)する /uwaki suru/ to cheat on one's partner
*怒(おこ)る /okoru/ to get angry

Yeah, it will be found out soon..... lol
That's all for today! Thank you for reading! =)

Japanese Grammar Tips ~The Particles~ (2)

In previous post, I wrote about the basic idea of Japanese particles は and が. I will tell you the answer of previous post's quiz at the end of this post. First of all, let me introduce tip(2).

--------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
 - We Usually use は to describe things. So <AはB> is often translated as <A is B>. 
 - が is used to emphasize the subject. <AがB> can also be translated as <B is A>.
 - When we answer the questions like "who is...?" or "what is...?", it is natural to use が.
 - が has an exclusive meaning. If we say Aが, it implies that not B, C, or D, but A.
(2) が describes objectively what has happened
(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が
(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence? 
(5) Some Japanese verbs used が to mark the direct object
(6) は can be attached to another particles
* (1) ～ (3) are the posts from lang-8
---------------------------------------------------------------

(2) が describes objectively what has happened
As I wrote in previous journal, は shows the theme of the sentence. It is used to describe what something or someone is like, or what it is. On the other hand, when it comes to describe what is happening or what has happened, we usually use が.

＞黒い犬が公園で寝ている。
A black dog is sleeping in the park.
＞雨が降るかもしれない。
It may rain.
＞昨日弟が家に来た。
My brother came to my house yesterday.

Here, these が don't have the exclusive meaning like tip(1). It just pointed the subject of the sentence. They can also be changed into は, but then, the shade of meaning of the sentence will be different.

＞黒い犬は公園で寝ている。
Speaking of the dog, it's sleeping in the park.
＞雨は降るかもしれない。
Speaking of the rain, it may fall.
＞昨日弟は家に来た。
Speaking of my brother, he came to my house yesterday.


Can you see the difference? Let's take a look at another example.
[1] 彼女がダイエットを始めた。
[2] 彼女はダイエットを始めた。
Both can be translated as "she started a diet". [1] just describes what happened, and [2] is, on the contrary, speaking about what she did. In other words, when we say <XがY>, the point of the sentence is on Y. But if we say <XはY>, then it means we focus on X.

[1] 彼女がダイエットを始めた　→　talking about WHAT HAPPENED
[2] 彼女はダイエットを始めた　→　talking about WHAT SHE DID

So, if you say <XがY> , you are just a spectator who describes the situation objectively. Then, which particular should I use if I want to talk about myself or about you? Well, we usually omit the subject if it's the first of second person. Japanese people tends to drop the words if it's obvious between the speaker and the listener. But if I dare to write it, I would use は.

＞私は今から家に帰ります。
I'm going to go home now.
＞あなたは明日パーティーに来ますか？
Will you come to the party tomorrow?

It sounds natural to use は when we talk about ourselves.
When you use が, you must be just a spectator who describes the situation objectively. This is the point. You can't be the third person when we talk about yourself, can you? (Some people might say that he has another himself who watches his behavior... but who cares?) This is why we prefer using は in this case.


So, in ordinary circumstances, I mean you are not the one who is watching yourself and describe objectively what you did, guess what these sentences imply:

＞私が今から家に帰ります。
＞あなたが明日パーティーに来ますか？

In this case, tip(1) applies. These が have the exclusive meanings. You are the one who will come to the party tomorrow? Not others but YOU?


Let's recap!
- When we describe "what happens" or "what has happened", we use が.
- In this case, you are just a spectator who describes the situation objectively.
- If you use は to describe happenings, then it focuses on "what someone/something did".
- When we talk about the actions of the first and the second person, tip(1) applies.



The previous post's <QUIZ> answer
[1] これは良い　→　This is good.
[2] これが良い　→　This is the one that is good.

The difference between them is:
[1] is talking about what it is like, and [2] is talking about which one is good.
Imagine you're going to buy a new laptop. There're many laptops in the shop, but you found the one which seems to be perfect for you. You picked it up and said これが良い！



<Today's QUIZ>
Picture this. You're walking at the park. It was a beautiful day. You found someone is sleeping on a bench when you passed it by. And surprisingly, it was your father!

Which sentence is more natural to describe what you saw at the park?
[1] 父は公園のベンチで寝ている。
[2] 父が公園のベンチで寝ている。


By the way, do you remember this picture? I drew it for the post <The Word Order>, in which I wrote about the word order in Japanese. =)


That's all for today! If you have any questions or comments, I'd be glad to hear that. Thank you for reading! Bye!

Japanese Grammar Tips ~The Particles~ (1)

*This article is what I wrote on lang-8.
I'm going to post these articles and some additions here.


(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
(2) が describes objectively what has happened
(3) When the subject changes in one sentence, we should use が
(4) Can't we repeat は in one sentence? 
(5) Some Japanese verbs used が to mark the direct object
(6) は can be attached to another particles
* (1) ～ (3) are the posts from lang-8

I've thought about the difference between は and が (Japanese particles) for the first time in my life since I corrected my friends' journals more often than before. Come to think of it, it is really hard to explain the difference between them though I use it everyday. So I googled and got some tips about the usage of は and が.

I'm going to write about those tips to share with you guys but I'm not a specialist, so I'm not sure if it's linguistically correct or not. I welcome your comments and suggestions. I mean, I'm also waiting for comments from Japanese people! :)


(1) Xは = The theme of the sentence is X
If we say "Xは", it shows that we're going to talk about X.
In other words, X is a subject of the sentence.

＞彼女 は クラスでいちばん可愛い。
She is the cutest girl in our class.
＞あの女の人 は 私の母です。
That woman is my mother.
＞父 は いつも朝早く起きて犬の散歩に行く。
My father takes our dog for a walk every early morning.
＞昨日の夕飯 は カレーだった。
Our last supper was curry and rice.

Let's see what does it sound like if these は changes into が.

＞彼女 が クラスでいちばん可愛い。
She is the one who is the cutest girl in our class.
＞あの女の人 が 私の母です。
That woman is the one who is my mother.
＞父 が いつも朝早く起きて犬の散歩に行く。
My father is the one who takes our dog every early morning.
＞昨日の夕飯 が カレーだった。
It was last supper when we ate curry and rice.

As you see, it sounds a bit different. We use が to emphasize "whom" or "what" we are talking about. So the theme of the sentence is placed at the latter part of the sentence.

So you can read these sentences as:
彼女がクラスでいちばん可愛い＝クラスで一番かわいいのは彼女だ
あの女の人が私の母です＝私の母はあの女の人です
父がいつも朝早く起きて犬の散歩に行く＝いつも朝早く起きて犬の散歩に行くのは父だ

Let's have a look at the difference between them with some examples.
Taro: あの女の人は誰ですか？ (Who's that woman?)
Akiko: 彼女は英語の先生です。(She's our English teacher.)
Taro: じゃあ、誰が数学の先生ですか？ (Then, who's your math teacher?)
Akiko: あの男の人が数学の先生です。(That man is our math teacher.)

Akiko use が when she answered Taro's question (WHO IS...?). This is the simplest tip. If you were asked 何が(what is)～？ or 誰が(who is)～？ you should use が.

Taro: 英語の授業は難しいですか？(Is your English class hard for you?)
Akiko: いいえ。数学が難しいです。(No. The math class is difficult.)
She said the math class IS difficult, not the English class or any other classes. This が is used to emphasize the word before it, and it has an exclusive meaning.

Let me explain more about its "exclusive meaning".
＞Aさんは日本人です。
＞Aさんが日本人です。
Both can be translated as "A is Japanese". But if we use が in this sentence, it implies that it's not B, C, D, nor E, but A IS Japanese. So it excludes others.

Let's recap!
-We Usually use は to describe things. So <AはB> is often translated as <A is B>. 
-が is used to emphasize the subject. <AがB> can also be translated as <B is A>.
-When we answer the questions like "who is...?" or "what is...?", it is natural to use が.
-が has an exclusive meaning. If we say Aが, it implies that not B, C, or D, but A.


<QUIZ>
What's the difference between these sentences below?
>これは良い
>これが良い
Please feel free to leave your comment. :)