Week One (Japanese)

Particles

は: topic of the sentence.
        わたしはがくせいです。I am a student.
へ: to, towards - indicates destination
        しょくどうへいきます。We are going to the cafeteria.
の: possession, relation, location
        やまださんおうちです。This is Mr. Yamada's house.
        こちらはわたしのともだちです。This is my friend.
        とうきょうのだいがくのがくせいです。I am a student at a university in Tokyo.
も: also
        わたしもがくせいです。I am a student also.
        すずきさんもとうきょうえいきません。Ms. Suzuki will not go to Tokyo, either.
No particles with time nouns.
        きょういきません。I am not going today.
を: indicates that the noun it follows receives the action.
        ばんごはんをたべましょうか。Should we eat dinner?
        おちゃをのみましょう。Let's have tea.
で*: at/in
        ぎんざでにほんりょうりをたべませんか。Why don't we eat Japanese cuisine in Ginza?
と: and
        うどんとぎょうざをたべました。I ate noodles and dumplings.
よ: vocative marker
        しまだやのくつはやすいですよ。Shimadaya's shoes are certainly inexpensive.
        すずきさんはデパートへいきましたよ。Ms. Suzuki went to the department store, you know.
けど: but
        すずきさんはでかけますけど、わたしはでかけません。Ms. Suzuki is going out, but I am not.
が: (with subject) emphasis
        わかやぎがつよいです。Wakayagi (sure) is strong. (Emphasis on Wakayagi.)
が: (in an adjectival sentence structure)
        もりさんはすもうがすきです。Mr. Mori likes sumo. (Emphasis on sumo.)
で*: by means of
        エンピツでひらがなとかたかなをかきました。I wrote hiragana and katakana with a pencil.
ね: tag question, expressing personal feeling, or modified slightly ねえ to imply surprise.
        おうきいからだですね。He has a big body, doesn't he?
        このごろわかやぎがつよいですね。Recently, Wakayagi has been strong [in my opinion].
        りっぱなほんですねえ。It's a magnificent book, isn't it? [I am surprised.]
や: combines two or more nouns and implies at least one additional item that has not been mentioned.
        おてらやじんじゃをみました。I saw temples, shrines, and other things like that.
        やまやしょくぶつえんへいきました。I went to the mountains, the botanical garden, and other places.
で*: because of / for
        りょかんおにわがゆきでとてもきれいでした。The garden of the inn was very pretty because of the snow.
が*: when あります "to have", わかります "to understand", and できます "to be able to do" are used, the particle that follows in possession isn't を but が.
        わたしはじかんがあります。I have the time.
        わたしはにほんごがわかります。I understand Japanese.
        ともだちわほんやくができます。My friend can translate [can do translation].
の*: can be used between two nouns to describe time.
        きのうのあさあめがふりました。It rained yesterday morning.