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Lesson 1: が
In this lesson, I will teach you how to use the case particle が.
Function 1: Subject Marker
If you want to tell people 〇〇 is the subject, Just add が after 〇〇.
Note:
| は is also a particle（adverbial particle）. It’s called topic marker. It means that the noun before it is the topic of this sentence. When は is a particle, it’s read as “wa”. は: emphasizes the noun after it. が: emphasizes the noun before it. For example, 私はトムです。 I’m Tom. In this sentence, は emphasizes “Tom”. So you can drop the “私は” too. If you say “トムです”, it also means “I’m Tom.”, It’s just less formal. 私がトムです。I’m Tom. In this sentence, が emphasizes “私”. This sentence is often used to answer a question: “Who is Tom?” So you will answer him: I’m Tom. (It’s not everyone else, It’s me!) So it will be weird to drop the 私が. Usually, は is way more often used. But if you do want to emphasize the subject, feel free to use が, it’s correct too! |
Example Sentences:
| A: 田中はどなたですか。 B: 彼が田中です。 A: Who is Tanaka? B: He is Tanaka. 私は学生です。 I’m a student. 私は日本語を勉強しました。 I learned Japanese. 彼女はかわいいです。 She is cute. 彼らは私の友達です。 They are my friends. |
Function 2: Express What You Want to Do
If you want to express that you want to do something, Just use something below.
私は + Object + が + Wish Form of the Verb.
Note:
| Sometimes You will find some sentences like below. 私は水を飲みたいです。 I want to drink water. It’s not wrong in modern Japanese. を is the particle to mark the object of verb. (You will learn it later) Although 飲みたい can be used as an i-adj, like 飲みたいもの, it’s wish form of 飲む too. So there are more and more people use を. （水を飲み）たい 水が（飲みたい） You can even drop the particle in conversation. (But you can’t do that in exam! ) 水 飲みたい Conclusion: In Exam and Article: use XX + が + ..たい In Conversation: が、を or just drop the particle. |
Example Sentences:
| 私は結果が知りたいです。 I want to know the result. 私は英語が勉強したいです。 I want to learn English. 私はアニメが観たいです。 I want to watch anime. 本が読みたいです。 I want to read books. 肉が食べたいです。 I want to eat meat. |
Function 3: Express Likes and Dislikes
If you want to express what you like and what you don’t like, you can use something like below.
私は + Noun + が + （大）好き + です。
私は + Noun + が + （大）嫌い + です。
Example Sentences:
| 私は甘いものが好きです。 I like sweet food. 私は辛いものが大嫌いです。 I hate spicy food. 私はアニメが大好きです。 I like anime so much. 宿題が嫌いです。 I don’t like homework. あなたのことが好きです。 I like you. |
Note:
| If you want to express the hope of others, you can click the link below to learn it! https://marshallyin.com/courses/n4-grammar-course/lessons/n4-grammar-rule-2/ |
Function 4: Express the Level of Skill
If you want to express the level of skill, you can use something like below.
Topic + は + Noun + が 上手です。
Topic + は + Noun + が 下手です。
Example Sentences:
| 私は日本語が下手です。 I’m not good at Japanese. 彼はギターが上手です。 He is good at guitar. 彼女は絵がうまいです。 She is good at painting. 彼は数学がすごく上手です。 He is very good at math. 私は英語を話すのが上手です。 I’m good at speaking English. |
Function 5: Express the Ability
If you want to express the ability, you can use something like below.
Topic + は + Noun + が + Potential Form of Verb.
Example Sentences:
| 私は漢字が読めます。 I can read kanji. 私は英語が話せません。 I can’t speak English. 彼は歌が歌えます。 He can sing songs. 彼女はダンスができます。 She can dance. 私は車の運転ができません。 I can’t drive. |
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37 thoughts on “Lesson 1: が”
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So if someone asked “Which of you is Japanese?” it would be more appropriate to use 私が日本人です。but if the question was “What is your nationality?”, it would be better to say 私は日本人です。Is that right?
The former is right, but the latter should be “私の国籍（こくせき）は日本です”→My nationality is Japan.
Does 日本人 refer to ethnicity instead of nationality then?
That‘s right!
What would be the difference between 使い and 使う?
Look at Noun Form in Verb Course. I think that sentence can be understood as “It’s hard using this pen” where “tsukai” here is “using”. Not really sure about that, could be something else.
I have added some details! Hope it helps!
shoulndt このペンが使つかいにくい be このペン使つかいにくいが since you say that が should be after the verb
Where Did you see “The が should be after the Verb”?
Does emphasise mean 强调重点?
Yeah!
Why are functions 2-6 separate functions when, based on the examples, it seems like が is just being used as a subject marker like in function 1?
broadly speaking, yes. But I think dividing these functions is necessary so they won’t get confused when to use は and が.
For function 2, if given the choice to use が or を which would be preferred?
What do you mean by wish form?
Wish form is that what ends with ～たい, I guess.
Will there be any translations becouse I am not this good with Engish and can’t understand much of that just asking xD
I will consider it in the future but It’s English-only now.
are functions 4 and 5 similar? can I use them as I like most?
function 4 is often used with adj（good at Or bad at.）
function 5 is often used with verb（can do or can’t do）
がused in likes dislikes, skill describe, what want to do, what you want to do.
Likes, dislikes :
私の心はオレンジジュースが好きです
彼女は青いの瞳が大嫌いですよ
Skill describe :
ジルは銃器が上手です
レジナは戦うが上手です
こころは数学が下手です
レイバンは読むことが下手です
シャバは死ぬのが上手です
アシュリーは泣くことが上手です
To be continued…
What you want to do:
日本が行きたいね
韓国が行きたくないね
中国が行きたかった
あなたの本が読みたい
中にノートが書きたいね
強いことがたいです
Express the ability:
私は水が飲めです。
エイダはレヨンが殺せる。
彼女は部(へ) 屋(や) が眠(ねむ) れる。
エイダはジルの部屋が眠れない。
リザはリズムができる
クリスチはリズムができません。
Hi! In the function 2 of the particle there´s this example:
私たしは水を飲みたいです. Why do you put です at the end of the wish form?
Thank you for everything!
です is more polite. It’s okay to say it without です. But if you are talking to your superior, you’d better use です
Hi Marshall!
Can you explain the purpose of the parenthesis and how the two are different?
（水みずを飲み）たい
水みずが（飲みたい）
Does it mean that the ~たい modifies （水みずを飲み）instead of just 飲み?
Thanks!
They are the same. I just want to explain why it’s okay to use を as well as が.
In the last function, the potential one.. Is を applicable? When do we use が for the potential form? On exam and articles?
You can use を, but more people use が.
Is the furigana of karai missing or it’s just me?
added!
i think you forgot to add が in the explanation bubble of function 5
added!
Why do some examples use “私” while others don’t, even though they both have “I” as part of the translation? Is there a rule that makes it assume the statement is talking about themselves?
Check out this
Link
Oh, I meant like this example: “にくが食たべたいです。”
I want to eat meat
There is no “わたしは” in the beginning, but the English translation still refers to first person “I”. Why is that?
It’s a rule in Japanese.
When you omit the subject in a statement, like にくが食べたいです。the subject will be “I” 私は、にくが食べたいです。
When you omit the subject in a question, like にくが食べたいですか。the subject will be “you” あなたは、にくが食べたいですか。
Oh wow, this clears it up! Thanks a lot.