Particles
Subject Marker for New Information and States
The particle が marks the grammatical subject of a sentence, identifying exactly who or what performs an action or undergoes a change. It is also used to introduce new information into a conversation or to specify a particular subject out of a group. Additionally, が marks the target of predicates that describe states, such as ability, desire, and preference.
01Main Functions
Marking the Grammatical Subject
Identifies the core noun that performs an action, undergoes a change, or experiences a natural event.
雨が降っています。
It is raining.
Introducing New Information and Exhaustive Focus
Highlights a specific subject to answer "who" or "what", often used after question words or when presenting a subject for the first time.
だれが行きますか。
Who is going?
Marking the Target of State Predicates
Marks the object of predicates that describe ability, understanding, desire, or preference, such as 好き (like), わかる (understand), or ほしい (want).
日本語がわかります。
(I) understand Japanese.
02Sentence Pattern
noun + が + verb + ます
雨が降ります。
(It) will rain.
The particle が marks the subject of a natural event. For occurrences that happen on their own, the subject takes が.
noun + が + verb + ました
バスが来ました。
The bus arrived.
When introducing new information or pointing out something that just happened, が highlights the subject entering the scene.
question word + が + verb + ますか
だれが行きますか。
Who will go?
In ordinary subject-answer questions, question words like だれ or なに usually take が because they ask for new, unknown information.
noun + が + na-adjective + です
コーヒーが好きです。
(I) like coffee.
When expressing preference with a na-adjective like 好き, the thing being liked is marked by が. Use the na-adjective without な before です.
noun + が + i-adjective + です
新しい車が欲しいです。
(I) want a new car.
The i-adjective 欲しい (want) takes が to mark the desired object. It describes a state of wanting rather than a direct action.
noun + が + verb + ます
日本語がわかります。
(I) understand Japanese.
Verbs that express potential, ability, or understanding, such as わかる, traditionally use が to mark the thing being understood.
noun + が + noun + です
私が学生です。
I am the one who is a student.
When emphasizing that a specific person is the answer, が provides exhaustive focus. It highlights that "I am the one" as opposed to someone else.
03Example Sentences
雨が降っています。
It is raining.
The particle が marks the subject of natural events and phenomena.
あそこにコンビニがあります。
There is a convenience store over there.
When stating the existence of something, the thing that exists is the grammatical subject and takes が.
バスが来ました。
The bus arrived.
が is used to introduce new information into the conversation, such as something you just noticed happening.
だれが行きますか。
Who will go?
In ordinary subject-answer questions, question words such as だれ usually take が because they ask for new, unknown information.
田中さんが行きます。
Mr. Tanaka will go.
The answer to a "who" question also uses が to specify the exact person who performs the action.
何が好きですか。
What do (you) like?
When asking what someone likes in a basic question, the question word takes が because it is the target of the state.
私は猫が好きです。
I like cats.
The target of preference words like 好き (like) is traditionally marked with が instead of the object marker を.
魚があまり好きではありません。
(I) do not like fish very much.
Even in negative statements, the target of preference remains marked by が.
新しい車が欲しいです。
(I) want a new car.
Words describing desire, such as the i-adjective 欲しい (want), describe a state and take が for their target.
日本語がわかりますか。
Do (you) understand Japanese?
Verbs that express potential, ability, or understanding, like わかる, use が to mark the thing being understood.
今日は天気がいいです。
The weather is good today.
In sentences with a topic, が marks the specific grammatical subject of the description. Here, the weather is the subject being described as good.
私が学生です。
I am the one who is a student.
Using が instead of は focuses strongly on the subject, implying "I am the student" rather than someone else.
それは私が買った本です。
That is the book that I bought.
The subject inside a relative clause (the clause modifying "book") is marked with が.
04Comparisons
が vs. は
が marks the grammatical subject and highlights it as new or important information. は brings up an established topic and focuses on the description that follows it.
私が学生です。
I am the one who is a student.
私は学生です。
I am a student.
が vs. を
Action verbs like 飲む (drink) use を to mark the direct object. State predicates that describe preference (好き), desire (ほしい), or ability (わかる) use が to mark their target.
コーヒーが好きです。
(I) like coffee.
コーヒーを飲みます。
(I) drink coffee.
だれが vs. だれは
In ordinary subject-answer questions, question words such as だれ usually take が because they ask for new information. While question words can take other particles depending on the context, they do not take the topic marker は in basic subject questions.
だれが行きますか。
Who will go?
05Nuance and Usage
Think of が as a spotlight pointing directly at the noun it follows. When you say 私が (I am the one), the listener's attention is drawn to "me" as the most critical piece of information in the sentence. This creates an exclusive focus, translating to "I am the one who..." rather than just a neutral statement.
For natural phenomena and events happening right before your eyes, が is the natural choice. Saying 雨が降っています (It is raining) simply reports the occurrence as a complete, newly observed event without setting up "rain" as a continuing topic of conversation.
While predicates like 好き, わかる, and ほしい take が in affirmative statements, you will sometimes see them take は in negative sentences, such as 魚は好きではありません: (I) do not like fish. This is because は can be used to add contrast, implying that while you do not like fish, you might like something else. For basic statements, sticking with が for these states is the safest starting point.
06Core Explanation
The particle が marks the grammatical subject of a sentence, identifying exactly who or what performs an action or undergoes a change.
The particle が is one of the most essential building blocks of Japanese grammar. Its primary role is to mark the grammatical subject of a sentence, pointing clearly to the person, thing, or phenomenon that performs an action or undergoes a change. When you observe a natural event like rain falling or a bus arriving, が naturally highlights that subject as it enters your awareness.
A key function of が is introducing new information into a conversation. While the topic marker は is used to talk about something already known or established, が shines a spotlight on something newly introduced. Because of this, in ordinary subject-answer questions, question words in the subject position such as だれ (who) or なに (what) usually take が. The answer to those questions will also typically use が to provide that specific, missing information.
This highlighting effect creates what is known as exhaustive focus. If someone asks a question, answering with 私が学生です emphasizes "I am the one who is a student" (and implies others might not be). It singles out the subject from a group, whereas 私は学生です would simply state a neutral fact about yourself.
Beyond marking the actor, が plays a special role with predicates that describe states rather than direct actions. Words expressing preference (like 好き and 嫌い), desire (like 欲しい), and ability or understanding (like わかる and できる) traditionally take が. Even though English speakers might think of these as actions taking a direct object, Japanese treats them as states of being, so the target is marked with が instead of the object particle を.
One of the most common beginner challenges is choosing between は and が. As a general rule of thumb, use は when you want to make a statement about a known topic, focusing the listener's attention on the description that comes after it. Use が when the subject itself is the most important piece of new information, when a question word is the subject, or when you are describing what you like, want, or can do.
07Common Mistakes
Wrong
だれは来ますか。
Correct
だれが来ますか。
Why: In ordinary subject-answer questions, question words representing unknown subjects usually take が to introduce new information. The topic marker は is generally not used for basic subject questions.
Wrong
何は好きですか。
Correct
何が好きですか。
Why: When asking "what" someone likes in an ordinary question, the question word 何 (なに) represents unknown information and usually takes が.
Wrong
誰は学生ですか。
Correct
誰が学生ですか。
Why: In ordinary subject-answer questions, the question word 誰 (だれ) asks for new information, so the subject is typically marked with が rather than は.
Wrong
猫を好きです。
Correct
猫が好きです。
Why: Words expressing preference, such as 好き, describe a state rather than an action. They traditionally take が to mark the target of the preference, not the object marker を.
Wrong
日本語をわかります。
Correct
日本語がわかります。
Why: わかる (to understand) is treated as a verb of potential or state in Japanese. The thing being understood takes が instead of を.
Wrong
新しい車を欲しいです。
Correct
新しい車が欲しいです。
Why: 欲しい (want) is an i-adjective describing a state of desire. The desired object is marked with が.
08Questions
Can I use を with 好き or わかる?
In standard Japanese grammar, you should use が with state words like 好き, わかる, and ほしい. Using を sounds unnatural because these words are treated as descriptions of a state rather than direct actions.
Why do I sometimes see は used with 好き?
While が is the standard marker, you can use は to create contrast. For example, 魚は好きではありません means "As for fish, (I) do not like it," implying that you might like something else. For basic statements, start with が.
How do I know whether to use は or が for a simple sentence?
Use は when the subject is already an established topic of conversation and you want to focus on the description that follows. Use が when the subject itself is the most important piece of new information, or when you are describing a natural event happening right now.
09Mini Practice
- 01
(Answering a question about what someone wants) 新しい車（ ）欲しいです。
- 02
(Asking who will go) （だれが・だれは）行きますか。
- 03
(I) understand Japanese.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 04
(Reporting a sudden event you just noticed) バスは来ました！
- 05
(Stating your preference) 私はコーヒー（ ）好きです。
- 06
I am the one who is a student.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 07
(Answering the question "Who is coming?") 田中さん（が・は）来ます。
- 08
(Describing what is happening outside) 雨が降っています。
Summary
Learner Summary
- The particle が marks the grammatical subject, highlighting who or what performs an action or undergoes a change.
- It is used to introduce new information, making it the correct choice for reporting sudden events or things you just noticed.
- In ordinary subject-answer questions, question words in the subject position, such as だれ (who) and なに (what), usually take が.
- When answering a question about the subject, use が to focus on the specific answer (for example, 私が学生です means "I am the one who is a student").
- States of preference (好き), desire (ほしい), and ability or understanding (わかる) use が to mark their target instead of the object particle を.