Structure
Sentence topic + は, Pronounced "わ"
Details
Part of Speech
Particle
Word Type
Linking Particle
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Standard
About は
は (pronounced わ) is often considered to be one of the most difficult particles to master in Japanese, alongside が. は marks the topic of the sentence, and describes the whole sentence broadly. However, が primarily marks single actions or statements. We will explore this distinction in more detail when covering が.
In many sentences (especially short ones), either は or が would be considered perfectly natural. This depends on whether someone is simply stating something (は), or highlighting it especially (が).
In the first sentence, は broadly describes what the sentence is about (curry). In the second sentence, は again describes the whole sentence being about 'me', but が highlights one specific piece of information (wine being the thing that is hated).
Caution
は cannot be used to describe things that you are seeing or experiencing 'in the moment' (right now). This is due to 'in the moment' events being considered part of a larger experience (your whole day for example).
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今はテスト。I have a test now. (Slightly unnatural, as the test is happening 'right now')
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今日は、雨。It will rain today. (Natural, as rain is a fairly broad event)
Caution
は has 2 main functions. The first marks the topic of the sentence, the second is used for contrast or making comparisons. Although there are no 'strict' rules for this, when は is used toward (or after) the middle of a sentence, it will usually have the nuance of contrast.
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私は、金曜日が好き。I like Fridays. (Focus is on Friday)
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私は、金曜日は好き。I like Fridays. (Focus is on the comparison to other days)
In the second sentence, は will give the listener the impression that there is a comparison being made.
Synonyms
が
Subject marking particle, Identification particle
Not studied yet
の
Verb nominalizer, The one who..., That which...
Not studied yet
Number/Amount + は
At least, Sort of, Or so
Not studied yet
って
As for, Speaking of, Casual は (Sentence topic marker)
Not studied yet
といえば
Speaking of, If it were the case that
Not studied yet
Examples
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私はトムです。
I (as the topic of this sentence) am Tom.
あなたはジムです。
You (as the topic of this sentence) are Jim.
トムは先生です。
Tom (as the topic of this sentence) is a teacher.
カバンは汚い。
The bag (as the topic of this sentence) is dirty.
カレンダーは必要です。
A calendar (as the topic of this sentence) is necessary.
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Online
The Ultimate Guide To: は vs が (The ONLY lesson you need!)
Japanese Ammo [video]
Why は is pronounced as わ
BriefJapanese
How to use は, は vs が
Bunpro
は and です
Japanese Ammo
Very thorough breakdown of は and が - Page 299
80/20 Japanese
は as a "non-logical" particle
Cure Dolly [video]
は vs. が quick breakdown and comparison
Japanese StackExchange
The 「は」 topic particle
Tae Kim
Offline
Genki I 2nd Edition
Page 42 & 93
みんなの日本語 I
Page 14 [CH 1]
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 21, 516 & 521
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 33
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は – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (13 in total)
Savannah
Yes, I also would like to know what this mea...
FredKore
This makes sense if you translate は as “As for [the topic of]…”.
When you’re talking with your friend about puppies:
子犬はかわいいね。-- “puppies are cute”, talking about puppies in general, as a topic
子犬がかわいいね。-- “those puppies are cute”, talking about a specific puppy, or focusing on puppies out of all animalsWhen you’re standing in front of a pet store talking about puppies in...
jacobalbano
Hi all, been a it’s been a while since I posted. I’m a very satisfied (former) customer and I help moderate a Japanese-learning discord community, where I recommend Bunpro to pretty much everyone I meet. However, the other day one member (who had picked up Bunpro at my suggestion) posted about this blurb on the は grammar point page, which has apparently been added since my sub ended last year:
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