も (Mo) Particle - Japanese Focus

The も (mo) particle is an essential grammatical element in Japanese, often translated as “also”, “too”, or “even” in English. However, its function goes beyond simple addition—it is used for emphasis, comparisons, and setting conditions.

も as “Also” or “Too”

The most common use of も is to indicate that something is the same as what was previously mentioned. It replaces the particles は (wa), が (ga), or を (o) when used in this way.

Structure:

[A] は [B] です。 → [A] も [B] です。

Example 1:

私は学生です。 
(Watashi wa gakusei desu.)
"I am a student."

彼も学生です。 
(Kare mo gakusei desu.)
"He is also a student."

Example 2:

りんごを食べます。 
(Ringo o tabemasu.)
"I eat apples."

バナナも食べます。 
(Banana mo tabemasu.)
"I also eat bananas."

も for Emphasis (Even, As Much As, As Many As)

The も particle can emphasize unexpectedly high amounts or extreme conditions in a sentence. In these cases, it often translates as “as much as” or “even”.

For example:

この本は1000円もします。 
(Kono hon wa sen-en mo shimasu.)
→ "This book costs as much as 1000 yen!"

昨日は10時間も勉強した。 
(Kinou wa juu-jikan mo benkyou shita.)
"Yesterday, I studied for as many as 10 hours!"

水が一滴もない。 
(Mizu ga itteki mo nai.)
"There is not even a single drop of water."

Here, も emphasizes the quantity (10 hours, 1000 yen, one drop) as surprisingly large or extreme.

も for Listing Similar Items (“Both A and B”)

When も is used multiple times in a sentence, it means “both… and…” or “neither… nor…” in negative sentences.

For example:

犬も好きだし、猫も好きです。 
(Inu mo suki dashi, neko mo suki desu.)
"I like both dogs and cats."

お茶も飲まないし、コーヒーも飲まない。 
(Ocha mo nomanai shi, koohii mo nomanai.)
"I drink neither tea nor coffee."

This usage helps create parallel structures in a sentence.

も with Questions (“No Matter What/Who/When/Where”)

When も is used with question words (誰, 何, どこ, etc.), it creates a meaning of “no matter what/who/when/where”.

For example:

何もいらない。 
(Nani mo iranai.)
→ "I don’t need anything." (Nothing is needed.)

誰もいなかった。 
(Dare mo inakatta.)
→ "There was no one." (Nobody was there.)

どこも行きたくない。 
(Doko mo ikitakunai.)
→ "I don’t want to go anywhere." (Nowhere is appealing.)

In these cases, も with a negative verb creates the meaning of “none at all”.

Alternatively, when used with a positive verb, it means “every/any.”

For example:

どこも楽しい。 
(Doko mo tanoshii.)
"Everywhere is fun!"

誰もが知っている。 
(Dare mo ga shitteiru.)
"Everyone knows."

Here, も expresses inclusivity rather than negation.