Eight Types of Particles

There are many types of particles in the Japanese language but there are eight main core types particles that are most commonly used:

1. 格かく助じょ詞し (Case Particles)
2. 並へい立りつ助じょ詞し (Parallel Particles)
3. 準じゅん体たい助じょ詞し (Phrase Particles)
4. 間かん投とう助じょ詞し (Interjectory Particles)
5. 副ふく助じょ詞し (Adverbial Particles)
6. 係かかり助じょ詞し (Linking Particles)
7. 接せつ続ぞく助じょ詞し (Conjunctive Particles)
8. 終しゅう助じょ詞し (Sentence-Ending Particles)

The following terms are as defined:

格かく助じょ詞し (Case Particles)

Case particles refer to the grammatical function or relationship of a noun or noun phrase within a sentence. These follow the noun they modify and serve to clarify its role in the sentence. For example:

• が Subject: Also known as the focus particle, が marks the grammatical subject (the person, thing or place that is performing the action).

  ※ 先せん生せい is the one doing the act of giving (くれた).

• を Direct Object: Used to mark the noun that the verb acts on. When used with intransitive verbs, it can describe the movement of something, generally from point A to point B.

  ※ お菓か子し moves from point A (先せん生せい) to Point B (私わたし).

• に Target: Used to mark the state of existence, destination, location, time, receiver or giver etc.

  ※ 私わたし is the final destination of the Direct Object (お菓か子し).

並へい立りつ助じょ詞し (Parallel Particles)

Parallel particles are used between nouns to help clarify that multiple items are being included in the same context. These are sometimes grouped together with other types of particles. Two of the most common parallel particles are と and や.

• りんごとケーキとすしとラーメン

  Apples and cake and sushi and ramen

• ピアノやコンピューターや本ほんなどがあります

  There is a piano and a computer and books and such

準じゅん体たい助じょ詞し (Phrase Particles)

Phrase Particles are normally found at the end of verbs to help describe the grammatical relationship of a phrase within a sentence. These can group verbs, i-adjectives and na-adjectives to form a noun phrase. For example, using the nominalisation の or こと particle to form nouns from verbs and adjectives:

• 読よむのは楽たのしい

  As for reading, it is fun

• ゲームをすることが好すきなんだ

  I like everything about playing games

※ This is not to be confused with the Case Particle の used as a noun modifier or possessive marker.

間かん投とう助じょ詞し (Interjectory Particles)

Interjectory particles help to express the speaker's emotions and reactions and are often seen at the end of a sentence. Some of the most common ones are ね, よ and なあ.

What sets these apart from actual Sentence-Ending Particles is that they can be interjected at the end, beginning or between sentences. These are generally just sounds rather than words used to express emotions so English translations can be inaccurate. This is similar to English where you may say err, erm, oh, ah, say, y'know, wow, oops and so on.

This is not possible to do for normal Sentence-Ending Particles since the main purpose of interjectory particles is to catch the listeners' attention rather than to directly the express emotions related to what overall is spoken.

• ねぇ、しのちゃん

  (nee / say / hey), Shino-chan

• それはさー、全ぜん然ぜん違ちがうんよー

  That's (saa / sigh) completely different (yoo / y'know / man / mate)

※ Words in parentheses are filler words and do not have any specific meaning so it is not always possible to translate these into English without using alternatives that may get confused with non-filler words.

副ふく助じょ詞し (Adverbial Particles)

Adverbial particles are mainly found after verbs, adverbs and Case Particles and act as adverbials to provided additional context or information. Some common ones are だけ, など, まで and ほど. Adverbs describe the quality of the verb; as in How did it happen?. For example: I spoke softly.

• 英えい語ごだけ話はなせます

  (She) can speak only English

• 読よめば読よむほど面おも白しろい

  (It becomes) interesting, the more (you) read (it)

係かかり助じょ詞し (Linking Particles)

接せつ続ぞく助じょ詞し (Conjunctive Particles)

Conjunctive particles are similar to conjunctions in English that they connect two or more sentences together into one. Some common ones are が, けど, から, ので. The sentences being connected should be in a verbal phrase (a complete sentence must always end with a verbal form).

• 今日きょうは暖あたたかいが明あ日したは寒さむくなりそうだ

  It is warm today but tomorrow is going to be cold

• この町まちが好すきだから手て伝つだってあげるよ

  I'll help you because I like this town

※ が here is not to be confused with the Case Particle が used as a subject marker.

終しゅう助じょ詞し (Sentence-Ending Particles)

• きれいな花はなね

  It's a pretty flower (right?)

• この音おん楽がくよ

  This music is good (you know)

• すごいなあ

  (That's so) amazing