Particles
Connecting Nouns, Accompaniment, and Quotations
The particle と is a highly versatile marker used for three main purposes in beginner Japanese. It connects nouns into a complete list (similar to "and"), marks the person or animal you do an action with (similar to "with"), and wraps phrases to show what was said or thought. Unlike the English word "and," you cannot use と to connect adjectives or verbs.
01Main Functions
Connecting Nouns (And)
Use と to link two or more nouns together. It creates a complete, exhaustive list, meaning nothing else is included besides the specific items you mention.
パンと卵を買いました。
(I) bought bread and eggs.
Accompaniment (With)
When you do an action together with a person or an animal, use と to mark your partner. It is often paired with the phrase 一緒に (together) to make the shared action clearer.
友達と公園へ行きました。
(I) went to the park with a friend.
Quotation and Thought
Use と to wrap a sentence or phrase to show exactly what someone said, heard, or thought. It usually goes directly before verbs like 言う (to say) or 思う (to think).
明日は雨が降ると思います。
(I) think that it will rain tomorrow.
02Sentence Pattern
noun + と + noun
犬と猫が好きです。
(I) like dogs and cats.
と directly links two nouns into a complete list.
noun + と + noun + と + noun
肉と魚と野菜を買いました。
(I) bought meat, fish, and vegetables.
You can chain multiple nouns together. The list is understood to be complete, meaning only these items were bought.
noun + と + verb
家族と晩ご飯を食べました。
(I) ate dinner with my family.
と marks the family members as the people the speaker did the action with.
noun + と一緒に + verb
先生と一緒に写真を撮りました。
(I) took a picture together with the teacher.
Adding 一緒に (together) after と emphasizes that the action was performed jointly as a shared activity.
sentence + と + 言います
田中さんは「明日行く」と言いました。
Mr. Tanaka said, "I will go tomorrow."
と marks the exact words spoken. In Japanese writing, direct quotes are often enclosed in corner brackets.
sentence + と + 思います
この本は面白いと思います。
(I) think this book is interesting.
と wraps the thought before the verb 思います (think). The quoted thought is usually placed in plain form.
noun + と + 申します
私は山田と申します。
I am called Yamada.
と is used to quote a name before formal verbs of naming or calling, acting as the Japanese counterpart to "called" or "named."
03Example Sentences
猫と犬が好きです。
(I) like cats and dogs.
と connects the two nouns "cats" and "dogs" as a complete, exhaustive list.
スーパーで肉と野菜を買いました。
(I) bought meat and vegetables at the supermarket.
と links the two items that were purchased, implying nothing else was bought.
机の上に本とペンがあります。
There is a book and a pen on the desk.
と lists the exact two items existing on the desk.
休みは土曜日と日曜日です。
(My) days off are Saturday and Sunday.
と connects the two days of the week, indicating the complete weekend.
兄と弟がいます。
(I) have an older brother and a younger brother.
と links the family members into a complete list.
週末、友達と映画を見ました。
(I) watched a movie with a friend over the weekend.
と marks the friend as the person the speaker did the action with.
誰と日本へ行きますか。
Who will (you) go to Japan with?
By attaching と to the question word 誰 (who), the sentence asks for the partner in the action.
昨日、家族と一緒に晩ご飯を食べました。
(I) ate dinner together with (my) family yesterday.
Pairing と with 一緒に (together) emphasizes that the action was a shared experience.
妹と買い物に行きたいです。
(I) want to go shopping with (my) younger sister.
と indicates the younger sister as the accompanying person for shopping.
田中さんは「明日、休む」と言いました。
Mr. Tanaka said, "I will take a day off tomorrow."
と comes right after the quoted phrase to mark exactly what Mr. Tanaka said.
このケーキはとてもおいしいと思います。
(I) think this cake is very delicious.
と wraps the thought "this cake is very delicious" before the verb 思います (think).
あの人はだれだと思いますか。
Who do (you) think that person is?
When asking what someone thinks, と is used before 思いますか to mark the thought being questioned.
私はマリアと申します。
I am called Maria.
と acts like quotation marks around the name before the formal verb 申します (called/named).
会議は３時に終わると聞きました。
(I) heard that the meeting will end at 3 o'clock.
と wraps the information that was heard before the verb 聞きました (heard).
先生はテストが難しいと言っていました。
The teacher was saying that the test is difficult.
と packages the teacher's statement about the test before the verb 言っていました (was saying).
04Comparisons
と vs. や
Both particles translate to "and" when linking nouns, but their implications are opposites. と creates a complete, exhaustive list: naming every single item involved. や creates an incomplete, representative list, indicating that there are other unmentioned items in the same category ("A, B, and things like that").
パンと卵を買いました。
(I) bought bread and eggs. (Only those two things)
パンや卵を買いました。
(I) bought bread, eggs, and other things.
と vs. te-form
Because the English word "and" is so flexible, learners often mistakenly try to use と to connect everything. However, in Japanese, と can only link nouns. When you need to connect adjectives or verbs to say "and", you must use their te-form instead.
肉と魚を食べました。
(I) ate meat and fish. (Connecting nouns)
安くておいしいです。
(It) is cheap and delicious. (Connecting adjectives using te-form)
と vs. ～って (0869)
と is the neutral quotative particle used in careful speech and writing before 言う / 思う. ～って (0869) is its casual spoken twin—often before 言う / 思う / 聞く, or at the end of a sentence with the verb dropped. Prefer と in careful lines; prefer ～って with friends and casual reports.
来ないと言いました。
(Someone) said (they) are not coming. (careful quote)
来ないって言った。
(Someone) said (they) are not coming. (0869 casual quote)
05Nuance and Usage
While the particle と translates cleanly to "and" and "with", it fundamentally functions to group things together. When it connects nouns, it acts as a firm bracket, closing the list so nothing else can enter. This exhaustive nature means that if you say パンと卵 (bread and eggs), the listener assumes those are the exact and only two items involved in the action.
When used for accompaniment (doing something "with" someone), と still retains this feeling of grouping the subject and the partner together for the action. Adding the phrase 一緒に (together) directly after と is extremely common and natural because it highlights this shared participation. It removes any ambiguity that the two parties might be doing the action separately at the same time.
As a quotation marker, と takes on a slightly different flavor. Think of it as verbal quotation marks. By placing と at the end of a phrase, you package everything before it into a single grammatical unit that can be handed off to verbs of communication or thought, like 言う (to say) or 思う (to think). In everyday Japanese, the quoted section itself is typically spoken in its plain form, even if the main sentence ends in a polite verb.
06Core Explanation
The particle と is a highly versatile marker used for three main purposes in beginner Japanese.
The particle と is an essential building block in beginner Japanese that serves three very distinct but common functions: connecting nouns, indicating who you do an action with, and marking quotations. While English often relies on separate words like "and," "with," and "that" to handle these tasks, Japanese uses this single, versatile particle.
When used to mean "and," と has a strict limitation: It can only connect nouns. If you say パンと卵 (bread and eggs), you are stating that the list is complete, and nothing else is involved. If you want to imply that there are other unmentioned items in the same category (like "bread, eggs, and things like that"), you would use the particle や instead of と.
A very common beginner mistake is trying to use と to link adjectives or verbs, simply because the English word "and" works that way. You cannot say 安いとおいしい (cheap and delicious) or 食べると飲む (eat and drink). To link adjectives or verbs in Japanese, you must use their te-form (for example, 安くておいしい).
The second major function of と is marking the partner in an action, roughly translating to "with." When you go somewhere with a friend (友達と) or eat with your family (家族と), this particle shows who accompanied you. It is perfectly natural and common to pair it with the adverb 一緒に (together) to make the shared nature of the action crystal clear.
Finally, と acts like quotation marks or the English word "that" when reporting speech, sounds, or thoughts. By placing と at the end of a phrase or sentence, you package it up so it can be introduced by verbs like 言う (to say) or 思う (to think), or 聞く (to hear). For instance, when you say 明日行くと (that I will go tomorrow), the と tells the listener that the preceding words are the exact thought or quote being reported.
07Common Mistakes
Wrong
この本は安いと面白いです。
Correct
この本は安くて面白いです。
Why: The particle と can only connect nouns. To link i-adjectives together to mean "cheap and interesting", you must use the te-form of the first adjective (安くて).
Wrong
週末はテレビを見ると本を読みます。
Correct
週末はテレビを見て、本を読みます。
Why: You cannot use と to connect verb actions like "watch TV and read". To link sequential actions, you must use the te-form of the verb (見て).
Wrong
今日は休みです。と、天気がいいです。
Correct
今日は休みです。そして、天気がいいです。
Why: The particle と cannot be placed at the beginning of a sentence to mean "And...". You must use a true conjunction like そして (and/then).
Wrong
飲み物は水とお茶などがあります。
Correct
飲み物は水やお茶などがあります。
Why: The particle と indicates a complete list where nothing else is included. When using など (and so on) to indicate an incomplete list, you should connect the nouns with や instead.
Wrong
明日は雨と思います。
Correct
明日は雨だと思います。
Why: When quoting a noun (雨) or a na-adjective directly before と思います, you must attach だ (the plain form of です) to form a complete grammatical clause.
Wrong
友達に一緒に映画を見ました。
Correct
友達と一緒に映画を見ました。
Why: To indicate the person you are doing an action "with", you must use the particle と. It is frequently paired with 一緒に (together) to emphasize the shared activity.
08Questions
Can I use と to start a sentence, like "And then..."?
No, the particle と cannot start a sentence. If you want to say "And" or "And then" at the beginning of a new sentence, use conjunctions like そして or それから.
What is the difference between と and や when listing things?
と is used when you are listing everything (exhaustive). If you say "A と B", it means only A and B are involved. や is used for incomplete lists. "A や B" means "A, B, and things like that," implying there are other unmentioned items.
Why do I sometimes see だ added before と思います?
When the quoted thought ends in a noun or a na-adjective, you need to add だ (the plain form of です) to make it a complete grammatical clause before attaching と. For example, to say "I think it is a book", it must be 本だと思います, not 本と思います.
09Mini Practice
- 01
机の上に鉛筆（ ）消しゴムがあります。
- 02
Choose the correct sentence to say "It is cheap and delicious."
- 03
週末、家族（ ）一緒にレストランへ行きました。
- 04
I think that Mr. Tanaka is busy.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 05
(When listing just two things out of many that you bought) パンと卵などを買いました。
- 06
Choose the correct sentence to say "I think tomorrow is a day off."
- 07
私は田中（ ）申します。
- 08
I will buy a camera and a watch.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
Summary
Learner Summary
- The particle と is highly versatile, primarily used for "and", "with", and "that" (quotation).
- When linking items, と can only connect nouns, creating a complete and exhaustive list.
- To say you do something "with" someone, mark the person with と, which is often followed by 一緒に (together).
- To quote what someone said or thought, wrap the phrase with と before verbs like 言う (to say) or 思う (to think).
- Never use と to connect verbs or adjectives; use the te-form for those instead.