とWith

Structure

Noun (A) + は + Noun (B) + と + Verb

Details

Part of Speech
Particle
Word Type
Case Marking Particle
Register
Standard

About と

In our second lesson about と, we will look at the common translation of 'with' that is associated with this particle. と shows that there is a relationship between (A) and (B), regardless of if that relationship is translated as 'and', or 'with'.

In either case, the nouns that are marked with と are usually all performing some mutual action (that mutual action may simply be existing).

When と is used as 'with', it means that both/all people or objects are equally involved in the action. However, に highlights that one person is the target (destination) of an action, so will result in something sounding a lot more one sided.

Here we can see that both people are talking when と is used. It is a mutual conversation. When に is used, however, the person marked by に is being talked 'to', and is usually not actively participating in the conversation.

Examples

--:--

トムと話(はな)す。

I talk with Tom.

僕(ぼく)は友達(ともだち)とごはんを食(た)べる。

I will eat food with my friend.

ゆうこさんはみおさんとコーヒーを飲(の)む。

Yuko-san drinks coffee with Mio-san.

タキはミツハと走(はし)る。

Taki runs with Mitsuha.

田中(たなか)さんは山田(やまだ)さんと話(はな)す。

Tanaka-san talks with Yamada-san.

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- The Inclusive 「と」 particle
  Tae Kim

Offline
- Genki I 2nd Edition
  Page 113 (Chapter 4)
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と – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (8 in total)

Daru

With

Structure
Noun (A) + は + Noun (B) + と + Verb

View on Bunpro
seigani
I want to ask regarding this example

僕は友達とごはんを食べる。

why it is not “僕の友達とごはんを食べる”?
IcyIceBear
That sounds more like someone else is eating with your friend

You don’t have to specify your friend. The topic of the sentence is you. What will you do? Eat, with a friend. We can assume it’s your friend since there isn’t a mention of it being anyone else’s friend/friends.

Same with English, “I’m going to eat with friends today” you don’t have to say my friends (unless you feel the need to point out to the listener that the friends belong to you, not them, and they are not apart of that group)
seigani
Okeyyy. Thanks <3
thebeesmeow
Is there a difference between the about sentence 「コーヒーを妻と飲む。」and the example sentence 「僕は友達とごはんを食べる。」? Does having Noun (B) after the object change the meaning than if it’s before the object?
Daru
To me it’s 90% the same thing. Think of it like:

I think I’ll go out today.
Today, I’ll go out I think.
I’ll go out today, I think.

There’s a minimal change in nuance, but it doesn’t change the sentence in a substantial way.
thebeesmeow
That makes sense. Thanks for the response and clarification!
Crossbot
Question about example sentence: コーヒーを妻と飲む。

Here “wife” is after the particle wo. I was confused by this as when とwas covered in Duolingo (I’m aware perhaps not the best) I walked away with the understanding that a sentence like this would have appeared as 妻とコーヒーをのむ. Is it then possible to place the person with whom you are doing the object to the “right” of the object marking particle? An example sentence written both ways could be

友達とじゅうどうをします or じゅうどうを友達とします

Would love some clarification thanks y’all!
Daru

Crossbot:

Here “wife” is after the particle wo

The key here is to see each part of the sentence as a component of it, with their order switched around.

[コーヒーを][妻と飲む]

I think a good way to think about this is that the particle next to the word establishes that word’s role in the sentence, and not quite the order in which the words appear.

Crossbot:

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