Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 3: 4/13

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.

    たなかさんはやまださんと話(はな)す。

    Tanaka-san talks with Yamada-san.

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        • Genki I 2nd Edition

          Page 113 (Chapter 4)

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      と – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (8 in total)

      • thebeesmeow

        thebeesmeow

        That makes sense. Thanks for the response and clarification!

      • Crossbot

        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

        Daru

        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.

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