は (wa) marks the topic, what you are talking about, and puts the focus on what comes after it. が (ga) marks the subject and puts the focus on the subject itself: new information, the answer to “who?” or “what?”, or something you have just noticed. That one contrast explains most sentences.
In short
- わたしはジョンです: “As for me, I’m John.” The news is “John”.
- わたしがジョンです: “I am John” (not someone else). The news is “me”.
- Question words (だれ, なに, どれ) and their answers take が. Contrast takes は.
What is the difference between は and が?
Both can sit after the person or thing a sentence is about, so English speakers hear them as the same. The difference is where the new information is.
| Sentence | Meaning | New information |
|---|---|---|
| 田中さんは先生です。 | Tanaka is a teacher. | “a teacher” (what comes after は) |
| 田中さんが先生です。 | Tanaka is the teacher (the one who is the teacher). | “Tanaka” (what comes before が) |
A simple test: if the sentence answers “who?” or “which one?”, use が. If it answers “what about X?”, use は.
When is が required?
- Answering a question word. だれが来ましたか。 田中さんが来ました。 (Who came? Tanaka came.)
- A question word as the subject. だれが、なにが、どれが: question words never take は. どれがあなたのかばんですか。
- Something new or just noticed. あそこにねこがいる。 (There’s a cat over there.) Stories introduce a character with が and then switch to は, as the Japanese particles guide shows with むかしむかし、おじいさんがいました.
- With 好き, きらい, 上手, 分かる, できる and ほしい. The thing you like, understand or want takes が: すしが好きです, 日本語が分かります.
- Inside a clause that describes a noun. わたしが書いた手紙 (the letter I wrote). The subject of the small clause takes が, not は.
When should you use は?
- To set the topic. わたしは学生です。 Once a topic is set, Japanese often drops it in the next sentences.
- For contrast. 肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。 (Meat, yes; fish, no.)
- For general statements. ねこは動物です。 (Cats are animals.)
Both can appear in one sentence: わたしはすしが好きです (As for me, sushi is what I like). は sets the topic; が marks the thing liked.
Ni vs de: where something is, and where something happens
The other particle pair learners mix up is に (ni) and で (de). Both can follow a place, and the verb decides which one fits.
| Use | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Place where an action happens | で | 図書館で勉強します。 |
| Place where something is, or where you live | に | 机の上に本があります。東京に住んでいます。 |
| Destination | に | 学校に行きます。 |
| Clock time | に | 7時に起きます。 |
| Means or tool | で | バスで行きます。はしで食べます。 |
Quiz: は or が, に or で?
10 sentences, one blank each. Pick the particle that fits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between wa and ga in Japanese?
は (wa) marks the topic, what the sentence is about, and puts the focus on what comes after it. が (ga) marks the subject and puts the focus on the subject itself, so it is used for new information, answers to “who” or “what” questions, and things you have just noticed. わたしはジョンです means “As for me, I’m John”; わたしがジョンです means “I am the one who is John”.
Why is は pronounced wa?
When は is the topic particle it is read “wa”, a spelling kept from older Japanese. Everywhere else, as in はな (flower), it is read “ha”. The object particle を (“o”) and the direction particle へ (“e”) follow the same pattern.
Can I use both は and が in one sentence?
Yes, and it is common: わたしはすしが好きです (I like sushi). は sets the topic (me), and が marks the thing liked. Sentences like ぞうは鼻が長い (elephants have long noses) work the same way.
When do I use に and when do I use で for places?
Use で for the place where an action happens (図書館で勉強する) and に for where something exists or where you live (東京に住む, 机の上に本がある). に also marks destinations and clock times; で also marks the means, such as バスで (by bus).