Japanese Grammar Flashcards
(2 cards)
Is “wa” or “は” a topic indicator?
Yes. The hiragana ‘ha/は’ is usually read as “ha.” For example, ‘hai’ meaning “yes” and ‘hajimemashite’ meaning “Nice to meet you.” However, when it’s used as a particle, it’s read as “wa.” The hiragana ‘ha’ in the sentence ‘Watashi WA Hiroko desu.’ is used as the topic marking particle. So you need to read this as ‘wa’ not ‘ha.’
Would the particle “ga” or “が” be used to mark a subject of a verb that tells us who or what is performing said verb?
Yes. “が” or “ga” is used to describe who or what (usually a noun in general) is preforming an action. Example: ゆうと– が –すし を たべました // “Yūto ate sushi.”. The presence of “ga” tells us that the speaker is telling us about Yūto. If “ga” would have been dropped in this sentence, it would be difficult to understand.
