Japanese has 6 case particles. 4 case particles among 6 are very important to construct sentences. They have so many various meanings that you have many choices to mater them. In this chapter, I introduce the relation to when, where, who and what. This helps you to understand the relation between these 4 case particles for your first step.

Basic Meanings

Particle	Meaning	English	Japanese
ni	time	when	itsu (ni)
de	place	where	doko de
ga	subject	who	dare ga
'o	object	what	nani 'o

Japanese Basic Sentence

• (K): いつ、どこで だれが なにを しますか。
• (J): Itsu, doko de dare ga nani 'o shi-masu ka?
• (E): (*) When who does what where?

Dictionaries

Japanese Kana English ichi-gatsu(*1) いちがつ January ni-gatsu にがつ February san-gatsu さんがつ March shi-gatsu(*2) しがつ April go-gatsu ごがつ May roku-gatsu ろくがつ Jun shichi-gatsu(*3) しちがつ July hachi-gatsu はちがつ August ku-gatsu くがつ September juu-gatsu じゅうがつ October juu-ichi-gatsu じゅういちがつ November juu-ni-gatsu じゅうにがつ December

Japanese Kana English nichi-youbi にちようび Sunday getsu-youbi げつようび Monday ka-youbi かようび Tuesday sui-youbi すいようび Wednesday moku-youbi もくようび Thursday kin'-youbi きんようび Friday do-youbi どようび Saturday kinou きのう yesterday kyou きょう today ashita あした tomorrow

Japanese Kana English ichi-ji(*4) いちじ one o'clock ip-pun(*5) いっぷん one minute ni-fun(*6) にふん two minutes san-fun さんふん three minutes yon-fun よんふん four minutes go-fun ごふん five minutes roku-fun ろくふん fix minutes nana-fun ななふん seven minutes hachi-fun はちふん eight minutes kyuu-fun きゅうふん nine minutes jip-pun じっぷん ten minutes ichi-byou(*7) いちびょう one second

• (*1) "Gatsu" is the classifier to represent months.
• (*2) "Shi" is the formal reading originated from Chinese for 4. It is idiomatically chosen instead of "yon", which is the popular reading for 4. "Yon-gatsu" is still intelligible but not preferable.
• (*3) "Shichi" is the formal reading originated from Chinese for 7. It is ideimatically chosen instead of "nana", which is the popular reading for 7. "Nana-gatsu" is still intelligible but not preferable.
• (*4) "Ji" is the classifier to represent o'clock.
• (*5) "Pun" is the special classifier to represent minutes, it is only used when following 1 and 10, such as "ip-pun" ( 1 minute ), "jip-pun" ( 10 minutes ), "juu-ip-pun" ( 11 minutes ), "ni-jip-pun" ( 20 minutes ) and so on.
• (*6) "Fun" is the general classifier to represent minutes except the case (*5).
• (*7) "Byou" is the classifier to represent seconds.

How to use the case particle "ga", "'o", "ni" and "de".

Case 1a

• (K): にちようびに スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイします。
• (J): Nichi-youbi ni sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-masu.
• (E): Mike plays tennis in the school on Sunday.

Case 1b

• (K): いつ、スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイしますか。にちようびに プレイします。
• (J): Itsu, sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-masu ka? Nichi-youbi ni purei shi-masu.
• (E): When does Mike play tennis in the school? He does on Monday.

Case 1c

• (K): どこで、にちようびに マイクが テニスを プレイしますか。スクールで プレイします。
• (J): Doko de, nichi-youbi ni Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-masu ka? Sukuh'ru de purei shi-masu.
• (E): Where does Mike play tennis on Sunday? He does in the school.

Case 1d

• (K): だれが にちようびに スクールで テニスを プレイしますか。マイクが プレイします。
• (J): Dare ga nichi-youbi ni sukuh'ru de tenisu 'o purei shi-masu ka? Maiku ga purei shi-masu.
• (E): Who plays tennis in the school on Sunday? Mike does.

Case 1e

• (K): なにを にちようびに スクールで マイクが プレイしますか。テニスを プレイします。
• (J): Nani 'o nichi-youbi ni sukuh'ru de Maiku ga purei shi-masu ka? Tenisu 'o purei shi-masu.
• (E): What does Mike play in the school on Sunday? He plays tennis.

You can not use "ni" when you use "kinou", "kyou" and "ashita" to represent time directly. On the other hand, you can use "ni" when you use them as modifiers to other 'ords.

Case 2a

• (K): きのう スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイしました。
• (J): Kinou sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-mashita.
• (E): Mike played tennis in the school yesterday.

Case 2b

• (K): きのうの さんじに スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイしました。
• (J): Kinou no san-ji ni sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-mashita.
• (E): Mike played tennis in the school at 3 o'clock yesterday.

Case 2c

• (K): きょう スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイしました。
• (J): Kyou sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-mashita.
• (E): Mike played tennis in the school today.

Case 2d

• (K): きょうの くじに スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイしました。
• (J): Kyou sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-mashita.
• (E): Mike played tennis in the school at 9 o'clock today.

Case 2e

• (K): あした スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイします。
• (J): Ashita sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-masu.
• (E): Mike plays tennis in the school tomorrow.

Case 2f

• (K): あしたの にじ さんじっぷんに スクールで マイクが テニスを プレイします。
• (J): Ashita no ni-ji san-jip-pun ni sukuh'ru de Maiku ga tenisu 'o purei shi-masu.
• (E): Mike plays tennis in the school at 2:30 tomorrow.

Derivative Meanings

Particle	Basic Meaning	Derivative Meaning	English
ni	time	spotting objects including human, place	for, to
de	place	means, reasons	by, with
ga	subject	possible, preferable, desirable objects
o	object	objects passed by	along, through

How to use "ni" as the derivative meanings

Case 3a: spotting objects as human being or animate objects

• (K): マイクが マリアに バッグを あげます。
• (J): Maiku ga Maria ni baggu 'o age-masu.
• (E): Mike gives Maria a bag.
• (E): Mike gives a bag to Maria.

Case 3b: spotting objects as human being or animate objects

• (K): マイクが マリアに バッグを かいます。
• (J): Maiku ga Maria ni baggu 'o kai-masu.
• (E): Mike buys Maria a bag.
• (E): Mike buys a bag for Maria.

Case 3c: spotting objects as places

• (K): わたしが スクールに いきます。
• (J): Watashi ga sukuh'ru ni iki-masu.
• (E): I go to school.

How to use "de" as the derivative meanings

Case 4a: means

• (K): マリアが ナイフで オレンジを カットしました。
• (J): Maria ga naifu de orenji 'o katto shi-mashita.
• (E): Maria cut the orange with a knife.

Case 4a: reasons

• (K): ヤンキーズが ホームランで かちました。
• (J): Yankih'zu ga houmu ran de kachi-mashita.
• (E): Yankees 'on by home runs.

How to use "ga" as the derivative meanings

Case 5a: possible objects

• (K): ボックスから ボールが だせます。ボックスから ボールを だせます。
• (J): Bokkusu kara boh'ru ga dase-masu. Bokkusu kara boh'ru 'o dase-masu.
• (E): It is possible to put the ball out of the box. I can put the ball out of the box.

Case 5b: preferable objects

• (K): ハンバーガーが すきです。
• (J): Hanbah'gah' ga suki desu.
• (E): A hamburger is preferable. I like a hamburger.

Case 5c: desirable objects

• (K): サイダーが のみたいです。サイダーを のみたいです。
• (J): Saidah' ga nomi-ta-i desu. Saidah' 'o nomi-ta-i desu.
• (E): Cider is desired to drink. I want to drink cider.

How to use "'o" as the derivative meanings

Case 6a: objects passed by

• (K): サイドウォークを いきます。
• (J): Saido-whoh'ku 'o iki-masu.
• (E): I go along the sidewalk.

Basic Meanings

Particle	Basic Meaning	English
''e	the target direction	to
yori	comparing, more than	than

How to use "''e"

Case 7a:

• (K): マイクが マリアへ バッグを あげます。
• (J): Maiku ga Maria ''e baggu 'o age-masu.
• (E): Mike gives Maria a bag.
• (E): Mike gives a bag to Maria.

Case 7b:

• (K): わたしが スクールへ いきます。
• (J): Watashi ga sukuh'ru ''e iki-masu.
• (E): I go to school.

How to use "yori"

Case 8a:

• (K): ニューヨークは ボストンより ビッグです。
• (J): Nyuh' Yoh'ku 'wa Bosuton yori biggu desu.
• (E): New York is bigger then Boston.

Case 8b:

• (K): ジャパンで シルバーは ゴールドより エクスペンシブでした。
• (J): Japan de shirubah' 'wa goh'rudo yori ekusupenshibu deshita.
• (E): Silver was more expensive than gold in Japan.