が
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About a minute with the meaning, formation and examples helps a pattern stick. After that, the review queue brings it back at the right time.
Meaning
Marks the subject of a sentence: who or what does something, or what exists or is being described. It is especially used when the subject is new information or the focus of the sentence.
Conjugation
N + が + V / Adj: N + が + あります / います (existence)
Examples
Show translation
机の上に本があります。
庭に猫がいます。
誰が来ましたか。
山田さんが来ました。
私は日本語が好きです。
東京は人が多いです。
Common Mistakes
- Wrong誰は来ましたか。Correct誰が来ましたか。
Why: A question word asking for the unknown subject is marked with が, not は.
- Wrong私は日本語を好きです。Correct私は日本語が好きです。
Why: 好きです is not a transitive verb. In this sentence, the thing liked is marked with が, not を.
- Wrong庭に猫をいます。Correct庭に猫がいます。
Why: With います meaning 'exist' or 'be present', the person or animal that exists is the subject and takes が, not the object marker を.
Key points
This lesson covers が as the subject marker. It is a different word from the conjunction が meaning "but" (～が、～), which has its own lesson. At N5 level, use が for new information and after question words (だれが, なにが), and は for a topic that is already known (私は学生です). The answer to a question word question also takes が: 誰が来ましたか。→ 山田さんが来ました。 Existence sentences use が with あります (things) and います (people and animals). With predicates of feeling or ability such as 好き, 上手, わかる, ほしい and できる, が is the basic N5 pattern for marking what is liked, understood, wanted, or within someone's ability. In a modifying clause the subject also takes が, as in 私が作ったケーキ (the cake I made).
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