は and が

は marks what the sentence is about; が marks a new subject or the one a question word asks for. What is known takes は; what is new takes が: ここに本ほんがあります。その本ほんは大おおきいです。

Summary

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Point	Rule	Example	English
Topic	noun + は + clause	アンナさんは学生がくせいです。	Anna is a student.
Subject	noun + が + verb	たなかさんが来きました。	Tanaka-san has come.
Known or new	The new thing takes が; next time it is known and takes は.	ここに本ほんがあります。その本ほんは大おおきいです。	There is a book here. That book is big.
Question word	As the subject it takes が, and so does its answer.	だれが来きましたか。 — たなかさんが来きました。	Who has come? — Tanaka-san has come.
Contrast	は sets one thing against another.	ごはんは食たべますが、パンは食たべません。	I eat rice, but I don't eat bread.
After a particle	は follows another particle: では, には.	ここでは食たべません。	I don't eat here.
Trap	Introduce yourself with は, not が.	私わたしはアンナです。	I'm Anna.
Trap	すき takes が for the thing liked, not を.	私わたしはねこがすきです。	I like cats.

Overview

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は marks the topic, what the sentence is about: noun + は + clause. アンナさんは学生がくせいです。Anna is a student.
が marks the subject, who or what does or is something: noun + が + verb. バスが来きました。The bus has come.
The particle は is read わ. See Hiragana.
A sentence with です takes its topic with は. See です: Am, Is, Are.
も replaces は and が for “also”. See Particles と, も, の.

は: the topic

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Use	Example	English
Who or what the sentence is about, with です	たなかさんは先生せんせいです。	Tanaka-san is a teacher.
The topic of a verb	アンナさんはテレビを見みます。	Anna watches TV.
The topic of an adjective	この本ほんは大おおきいです。	This book is big.
A time as the topic	あしたはやすみです。	Tomorrow is a day off.
The topic of a question	あなたは学生がくせいですか。	Are you a student?
One topic for several sentences	アンナさんは学生がくせいです。日本語にほんごをべんきょうします。	Anna is a student. She studies Japanese.

The topic stands first in the sentence. See Word Order.

が: the subject

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Use	Example	English
Something new happens	あ、たなかさんが来きました。	Oh, Tanaka-san has come.
Something new exists; see あります and います	ここに本ほんがあります。	There is a book here.
A new person enters a story	むかし、おじいさんがいました。	Long ago there was an old man.

Question words with が

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A question word that is the subject takes が; the answer that replaces it takes が too.

Use	Example	English
Who does it?	だれが来きましたか。 — たなかさんが来きました。	Who has come? — Tanaka-san has come.
What exists?	何なにがありますか。 — 本ほんがあります。	What is there? — There is a book.
Which one is it?	だれが学生がくせいですか。 — アンナさんが学生がくせいです。	Who is the student? — Anna is the student.
A known topic and a question word: は on the topic	あの人ひとはだれですか。 — たなかさんです。	Who is that person? — It is Tanaka-san.

The question words and the answers to yes-no questions: see Questions.

Compare: は and が

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Known to both speakers: は. New, or picked from several: が.

Use	Example	English	Level
The same words answer two questions	アンナさんは学生がくせいです。 / アンナさんが学生がくせいです。	Anna is a student. / It is Anna who is a student.
First mention, then the known thing	ここに本ほんがあります。その本ほんは大おおきいです。	There is a book here. That book is big.

は for contrast

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は replaces が and を, and follows other particles: では, には.

Use	Example	English
Two things set side by side	ごはんは食たべますが、パンは食たべません。	I eat rice, but I don't eat bread.
A negative that leaves other things open	さかなは食たべません。	Fish I don't eat.
A place set against other places	ここでは食たべません。	I don't eat here.
Two topics, two comments	私わたしは学生がくせいです。アンナさんは先生せんせいです。	I am a student. Anna is a teacher.

は and が in one sentence

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は names the person; が names the thing liked, wanted or mastered. See Likes and Wants: 好き, ほしい.

Use	Example	English
Liking	私わたしはねこがすきです。	I like cats.
Wanting	アンナさんはくるまがほしいです。	Anna wants a car.
Being good at something	アンナさんは日本語にほんごがじょうずです。	Anna is good at Japanese.

Typical errors

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Wrong	Right	Rule
私わたしがアンナです。	私わたしはアンナです。	a self-introduction names the topic with は; が would say “I am the one who is Anna”
だれは来きましたか。	だれが来きましたか。	a question word that is the subject takes が
私わたしはねこをすきです。	私わたしはねこがすきです。	すき takes が for the thing liked; the thing is not an object
ごはんが食たべますが、パンが食たべません。	ごはんは食たべますが、パンは食たべません。	two things set against each other take は

Up next

Questionsか turns a sentence into a question; question words such as なん, だれ and どこ stand where the answer will stand.

Up next

Particles を, に, で, へを marks the object; に the time, goal and place of being; で the place of action and the means; へ the direction.

Summary

Overview

は: the topic

が: the subject

Question words with が

Compare: は and が

は for contrast

は and が in one sentence

Typical errors

Contents

Japanese

01Foundations

02Sentence basics

03Adjectives

04Verbs

05Linking sentences

A0 Starter

A1 Beginner

A2 Elementary