Reading and Writing Senences

Common sentence particles

Rule: AはBです (A wa B desu) - A is B / As for A, it is B.

Note: When pronouncing です (desu), the "u" sound is dropped.

は (wa) is a sentence particle, or grammatical function, used to state that A is B. です (desu) is another sentence particle that is also used to state that A is B. です directly translates to "is", and "は" is used to show what you are talking about. Another way to view "A is B" is "As for A, it is B". は represents "as for" because it is connected to A, or the subject of the sentence. です still translates to "is". The object of the verb is "B".

Examples:

わたしはあきです。 > Watashi wa Aki desu. > I am Aki.

ゆきはせんせいです。 > Yuki wa sensei desu. > Yuki is a teacher.

きょうはげつようびです。> Kyou wa getsuyoubi desu. > Today is Monday.

すしはおいしいです。> Sushi wa oishi desu. > Sushi is delicious.

Rule: AはBですか (A wa B desu ka) - Is A B?

Add か (ka) at the end of a AはBです sentence to turn it into a question. Question marks aren't used in Japan, so か is used to ask questions.

Examples:

あなたはなおみですか。 > Anata wa Naomi desu ka. > Are you Naomi?

ひまりはだいがくせいですか。 > Himari wa gaikakusei desu ka. > Is Himari a university student?

The の (no) particle is used in multiple ways. It is used to show the ownership of an object, a form of information, and the position of an object.

Example (possession): ひまりさんのねこ > Himari’s cat

Example (information): アメリカのだいがくせい > An American university student

Example (position): つくえのうえ - On top of the desk