One of the most fundamental and commonly used particles in Japanese is the は (wa) particle.
Though written using the hiragana character for “ha,” it is pronounced “wa” when used as a particle. The は particle serves as a topic marker, highlighting the subject or theme of the sentence. Essentially, it tells the listener, “This is what we’re talking about now.”
Mastering the は particle is essential for creating clear and natural Japanese sentences, especially when introducing yourself or framing conversations.
Table of Contents
Topic Marker
In Japanese, the は particle marks the topic of the sentence rather than the grammatical subject. This means it identifies what the speaker wants to talk about, and everything following the は provides information about that topic.
The structure is normally the following:
<Topic> は <Rest of sentence>For example:
私は林檎を食べます。
(Watashi wa ringo o tabemasu.)
"I eat an apple."
日本は美しい国です。
(Nihon wa utsukushii kuni desu.)
"Japan is a beautiful country." The subject in the above examples is 私 (“I”, watashi) in the first example, and 日本 (“Japan”, nihon) in the second sentence.
In these examples, は introduces the subject or topic that the speaker wants to talk about. The focus of the sentence is what follows after は, not necessarily the topic itself.
Sentence Context
Japanese is a highly context-dependent language, which means that if you know the topic or subject that is being discussed, you can omit it from the conversation.
For example, if you’re already having a discussion with somebody, and the previous discussion what in regards to you, you can omit the topic from the sentence:
私は林檎を食べます。
(Watashi wa ringo o tabemasu.)
"I eat an apple."
林檎を食べます。
(Ringo o tabemasu.)
"I eat an apple."Here, the topic 私 (“I”, watashi) is implied and does not need to be explicitly stated unless clarification is required. This practice is especially common in casual conversations.
Contrastive Emphasis
The は particle is used to emphasize a topic or item amidst a choice of the same items.
To clarify this further, common mistake that people often make using the は particle is selecting the topic.
Let’s have a look at these two examples:
林檎を食べます。
(Ringo o tabemasu.)
I eat an apple.
林檎は食べます。
(Ringo wa tabemasu.)
As for the apple, I'm eating it.The difference between the two sentences is one using を and the other is using は. So what is the difference between these particles emphasizing?
Remember that the は particle emphasizes what the topic is, so if you say that the は particle is used after 林檎 (apple, ringo) then the topic now becomes about the apple instead of “I” or “you”.
With this, the main topic now is about the apple, and the reason why this happened in the conversation could be due to multiple things:
- There were multiple foods in the scenario and you wanted to choose a specific one
- The conversation topic moved specifically to about apples
- There’s a specific apple that you wanted to be selected
Contrast Marker
In Japanese, the particle は (wa) is primarily known as the topic marker, but it also plays an important role as a contrast marker. When used for contrast, は highlights differences between two things, often implying “but” or “on the other hand” in English.
This usage is common in conversations where a speaker wants to compare two things, emphasize a distinction, or show an exception.
When は is used for contrast, it replaces が or を in a sentence and brings out a comparison between two subjects, objects, or situations. The unstated implication is usually “this is true, but something else is different.”
Structure:
[Topic 1] は [statement] [but], [Topic 2] は [different statement].Example 1:
猫は好きですが、犬は好きではありません。
(Neko wa suki desu ga, inu wa suki de wa arimasen.)
"I like cats, but I don’t like dogs."Here, は emphasizes the contrast between the speaker’s feelings toward cats and dogs.
Example 2:
私は肉を食べます。でも、魚は食べません。
(Watashi wa niku o tabemasu. Demo, sakana wa tabemasen.)
"I eat meat. But I don’t eat fish."In this case, 魚は (sakana wa) contrasts with 肉を (niku o), emphasizing that while the speaker eats meat, they do not eat fish.
Example 3:
東京の冬は寒いですが、大阪はあまり寒くないです。
(Tōkyō no fuyu wa samui desu ga, Ōsaka wa amari samukunai desu.)
Tokyo’s winters are cold, but Osaka’s aren’t very cold.By using は, the sentence implies that the two cities have different winter climates.
Example 4:
昼ごはんは食べましたが、朝ごはんは食べませんでした。
(Hirugohan wa tabemashita ga, asagohan wa tabemasen deshita.)
I ate lunch, but I didn’t eat breakfast.The contrast is between 昼ごはん (hirugohan, lunch) and 朝ごはん (asagohan, breakfast) to show a difference in actions.
Negative Sentences
The particle は (wa) is commonly used in negative sentences to emphasize what is not or what does not apply. This creates a subtle nuance, often implying contrast or setting up expectations that are then negated.
In negative sentences, は tends to replace が or を as the main particle. Let’s explore how it works!
Structure:
[Topic] は [Negative Statement]Negating an Action
お酒は飲みません。
(Osake wa nomimasen.)
I don’t drink alcohol.
肉は食べません。
(Niku wa tabemasen.)
→ I don’t eat meat.Here, は draws attention to what is being negated, suggesting that other things may be different.
Negating a State or Possession
お金はありません。
(Okane wa arimasen.)
I don’t have money.
時間はない。
(Jikan wa nai.)
I don’t have time. The は highlights the negation while hinting that the situation could be different for other aspects.
Negating an Ability
ピアノは弾けません。
(Piano wa hikemasen.)
I can’t play the piano.
日本語は話せません。
(Nihongo wa hanasemasen.)
I can’t speak Japanese.Negating Preferences
コーヒーは好きじゃないです。
(Kōhī wa suki janai desu.)
I don’t like coffee.
アニメはあまり見ません。
(Anime wa amari mimasen.)
I don’t watch anime much.Using は in these sentences gives a softer, more nuanced negation rather than a direct rejection.
Why Use は Instead of が or を in negatives?
- が (ga) and を (wo) are often used for neutral statements.
- は (wa) adds a contrastive nuance—suggesting that while the statement is true, something else may be different.
Comparison:
お金がありません。
(Okane ga arimasen.)
I don’t have money. (Simple fact.)
お金はありません。
(Okane wa arimasen.)
I don’t have money. (Implies: but I might have something else.)This small change subtly shifts the meaning, making the sentence more context-dependent and natural.
Questions
The particle は (wa) is primarily known as a topic marker, but it is also commonly used in questions to highlight a specific subject or draw attention to contrast. When used in questions, は helps guide the listener’s focus, often implying “What about…?”, “How is…?”, or “And you?”
Simple Questions
One of the most natural ways to use は in a question is by simply stating the topic followed by は?. This is common in casual conversations when the context is clear.
Structure:
[Topic] は?
(What about [topic]?)Examples
お名前は？
(Onamae wa?)
And your name?
明日は？
(Ashita wa?)
(What about tomorrow?)
飲み物は？
(Nomimono wa?)
What drink would you like?Full Questions
In more complete sentences, は places emphasis on the topic, asking for specific information about it.
Structure:
[Topic] は [question]?Examples:
日本の生活はどうですか？
(Nihon no seikatsu wa dō desu ka?)
How is life in Japan? (Implying: Compared to another country, how do you find it?)
この映画は面白いですか？
(Kono eiga wa omoshiroi desu ka?)
Is this movie interesting? (Implying: Maybe other movies aren’t, but how about this one?)
天気はどう？
(Tenki wa dō?)
→ (How’s the weather?)In these cases, は directs attention to the specific topic of the question, subtly contrasting it with other possibilities.
Using は to Compare or Contrast in Questions
In some questions, は is used to compare or contrast one thing with another. It can imply that other things might be different, but the speaker is asking specifically about the topic marked by は.
Structure:
[Option A] は？ [Option B] は？
(How about A? And B?)Examples:
日本の食べ物は好きですか？
(Nihon no tabemono wa suki desu ka?)
Do you like Japanese food? (Implying: Maybe you like other cuisines, but what about Japanese food?)
コーヒーは？紅茶は？
(Kōhī wa? Kōcha wa?)
What about coffee? What about tea?
学校は楽しいですか？
(Gakkō wa tanoshii desu ka?)
Is school fun? (Implying: Maybe other things aren’t, but how about school?)This subtle contrast makes the question sound more natural and engaging.
は vs. が in Questions
Japanese learners often wonder when to use は versus が in questions. While が is used to identify unknown information, は is used to ask about something already known.
Example:
誰が先生ですか？
(Dare ga sensei desu ka?)
(Who is the teacher?) (Looking for unknown information.)
先生は誰ですか？
(Sensei wa dare desu ka?)
(Who is the teacher?) (Focusing on the teacher as a topic.)
どの映画が面白いですか？
(Dono eiga ga omoshiroi desu ka?)
(Which movie is interesting?) (Looking for new information.)
この映画は面白いですか？
(Kono eiga wa omoshiroi desu ka?)
(Is this movie interesting?) (Focusing on a specific movie.)は makes the question sound more natural and focused, rather than searching for entirely new information.