は・が

は presents something to talk about and can also signal contrast. が marks the subject within a clause; it is useful when introducing an event or identifying who or what satisfies a description. A sentence can contain both a topic and a subject.

1. 1Topic + は + comment
2. 2Subject + が + predicate
3. 3Topic + は + subject + が + predicate

1. 1あの店は、椅子がとても低いです。The chairs at that shop are very low.
2. 2誰が地図を持っていますか。— 美咲さんが持っています。Who has the map? — Misaki does.

‘Old information = は, new information = が’ is only a useful starting point. Contrast, the question being answered, and clause structure all affect the choice. Swapping は and が can change the emphasis without making a sentence ungrammatical.

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1. 第1条で・にWhere an action happens; where something is or goes
2. 第11条名詞を修飾する文Describe a noun with a clause: the person who…; the thing that…

• Tofugu: Particle は ↗ (opens in a new tab)
• Tofugu: Particle が ↗ (opens in a new tab)