subject marker

Beginner

20-25 min

very common

Expert Reviewed

Explanation

Marks the grammatical subject. Often used to introduce new information or emphasize the subject.

Formation

[Subject] + が + [Predicate]

Examples

犬がいます。

Inu ga imasu.

There is a dog.

誰が来ましたか。

Dare ga kimashita ka.

Who came?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don't confuse は and が. は marks the topic, が marks the subject.

Related Grammar

は (wa)

topic marker

More JLPT N5 Grammar

です/だ

to be (copula)

は (wa)

topic marker

を (wo)

direct object marker

に (ni)

direction, time, indirect object marker

Study Tips

Practice Tips

Compare sentences with は and が to feel the nuance: "私は学生です" vs "私が学生です" (I'm the student [among us]).

JLPTBooks Editorial Team

Japanese Language Education Specialists

Last updated: Jan 15

は (wa)All Grammar を (wo)

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