Basics of Particle: と

The basic use of the と particle is to mark two or more separate things as being connected together to make a complete set. This may be interpreted as and, with or together in English. However, it has many other uses such as quoting with thoughts or speech. Generally, it can make a complete list by grouping words in a set together.

The best way to think of と is togetherness; when words are marked by the と particle, we know it is part of a complete set or group of things to make a list.

Using と with complete lists

In the following example, we use と between nouns to mean "and" or "or":

The next example uses multiple と particles to create a list of things (however, you may just separate items with a comma (、) instead of using と all the time):

Unlike the English word "and", it is important to note that this use of と can only be used with nouns and noun phrases to represent separate things not of the same entity. It cannot connect two or more adjectives, verbs or verbal phrases.

Using と to express togetherness

In the following examples, we can use と to connect a noun phrase to a verb to mean "with" or "together":

It is also possible to make a more complex list such as 家族と友達とりんごとバナナとケーキとすしとラーメンとケーキを食べた (I ate apples, bananas, cake, sushi and ramen with my family and friends); this is just an example, there are other better and more natural ways of saying this.

So far, you may have notice there could be potential ambiguity. Please note that just because something is ambiguous, does not mean it is grammatically incorrect. In the previous example, it may sound like you ate your family and friends; to make this clear you mean "with" not "and", you may use 一緒に (issho ni) meaning "together (with)". For example:

In 彼女と学校へ通っています, we use 一緒に (issho ni) to make it clear that "I am going to school with her" and not "I am going to school and her".

In the example, ゲームでは、みきさんはゆたさんと戦いました, the ambiguity here is if, in the game, Miki and Yuta had a fight with each other or if they fought together; this is cleared up with 一緒に.

Using と to Mark Quotations

The と particle may also mark the end of a quotation when it is part of a clause. Here are two common verbs used in this way: 言う (iu) "to say" and 思う (omou) "to think". These can be used to connect words together with things that are said or your own thoughts.

Even though this example here uses 「」 (かぎかっこ) which are similar to English quotation marks, they can be omitted and still mean the same thing; we are only showing these here so you may see how it could be interpreted differently.

In casual Japanese, って often replaces the quotation maker. For example:

While there is no strict word order of where the quotation is placed, it is more common for the person that is "saying", "thinking" or "explaining" something to come before it; the verb as always, comes last.

Also, the quotation does not need to be near the verb, for example:

When と cannot be used

As mentioned earlier, unlike the English word "and", it is important to note that this use of と can only be used with nouns and noun phrases to represent separate things not of the same entity in to a complete set or group of things.

— Features of a single person, group or thing

Despite both being nouns, we cannot use と to mean "and" to describe Shinobu as being both "a teacher" and "a pianist" as these are two features about the same person, not a list of something.

• 忍は教師とピアニストである

  shinobu wa kyoushi to pianisuto de aru

  Shinobu is a teacher and a pianist

• 忍は教師でありピアニストである

  shinobu wa kyoushi de ari pianisuto de aru

  Shinobu is a teacher and a pianist

However, if we were to say "Shinobu's role is that of a teacher and a pianist", that would be okay since we are now describing two separate roles of Shinobu instead.

• 忍の役割は教師とピアニストである

  shinobu no yakuwari wa kyoushi to pianisuto de aru

  Shinobu's role is that of a teacher and a pianist

This may sound confusing at first but try to think of it like this: the first example is only describing the fact that Shinobu is both a teacher and a pianist but not as a set of roles; the second example lists the different roles that Shinobu has as a group or set.

— Using adjectives, verbs or sentences

You cannot connect two adjectives, two verbs, two verb phrases or two sentences. Here are some examples showing the differences:

— Extra Examples

Here are some more examples but written in English; see if you can understand why using と would be "right" or "wrong" in these contexts:

• Right: I went to England and Japan

• Right: Pianists and violinists gathered at the concert hall

• Right: The cake contains chocolate and cream

• Right: She is very skilled at making chocolate chip cookies and fluffy white cake

• Wrong: I went to the park and played on the slide

• Wrong: He is polite and honest

• Wrong: The apple is green and round

• Wrong: She is very skilled at making chocolate chip cookies and playing the piano