FAQs

Question: How to tell the difference between "は" and "が"?
Answer: "は" and "が" seem simple, but it's really hard to know when to use each. When I was taking my Japanese teacher certification exam, I wrote a three-page paper on how to use "は" and "が." However, for beginners, just remember the following rules and you'll be fine.For example:

question:日本人(A)は誰(B)ですか？
answer:鈴木さん(C)は日本人(D)です。

In "AはB," the emphasis is on "B," indicating that the speaker wants to expand on the topic."日本人は誰ですか？" asks who is Japanese. The questioner emphasizes "who." In "CがD," the emphasis is on "C," indicating that the speaker wants to emphasize the subject. In "鈴木さんが日本人です," the speaker wants to emphasize "鈴木さん"as the subject. Thus, "は" emphasizes the following sentence, while "が" emphasizes the preceding subject. Remember this point, and 90% of the problems with 「は」 and 「が」 will be solved.

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