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"Wa" and "ga"
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After all the numerous posts, I still don't know when to use which one. I guess it would help if there was an example and a description. Thanks! |
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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I wrote out a fairly long reply, but the forum logged me out before I could post it... So I'm just going to make this short: wa = changes the topic of discussion, or in other words, the matter at hand on which everyone involved in the conversation will comment. - watashi wa amerikajin desu. ("Speaking of me, I am an American.") ga = changes the subject of a sentence. Used after a complete sentence, it acts as a qualifying conjunctive similar in meaning to "but". - watashi ga amerikajin desu. ("*I* am the one who is an American.") - watashi wa amerikajin desu ga, anata wa nihonjin desu. ("Speaking of me, I am an American, but speaking of you, you are a Japanese.)
ã“ã“ã«ä½•ã‚’言ã†ã®ã‹å…¨ã分ã‹ã‚‰ãªã„。。。
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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So "ga" puts the emphasis on I, while "wa" will just refer to yourself? Does this rule apply to the second and third person perspective as well? |
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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by マモル ã® ã²ã‚
on 2006-01-30 04:04:00
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as I know, wa is the joshi(kind of auxiliary verb) that identifies topic of sentence. That'll tell U what are we talking about. "Ga" is the one of joshi that identifies subject of sentence, so, that makes U know who/what is the subject,person who do the action. Example : Boku wa nihonjin dewaarimasen. - I'm not Japanese.(Topic is I - talk'bout I that I'm not JPN) Boku ga gohan wo tabeteiru. - I'm eating rice.(We'll talking that now,I'm eating' - It's not just focus only me but What am I doing...) And another issue, use ga for the subject that firsted mention, and then use wa for refering that subject. Example : Boku ga gohan wo tabeteiru.(again)- I'm eating rice. Boku wa okaasan no hambagaa wo daisukida yo! - (speak of me who is eating)I like mom's Hamburgur very much, ya'know! wakarimashitaka? ========================== This is in my a bit empty head ^^" If there're anything wrong, please forgive me.....T_T
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ã¿ã¤ã‘㦠Ｙï½ï½•ï½’ Ｄｒｅï½ï½ ã“ã‚ã‚Œ ã‹ã‘ãŸã€
ã¿ã¤ã‘㦠Ｙï½ï½•ï½’ Ｄｒｅï½ï½ ã©ã“㸠ã„ã¦ã‚‚．．．
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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So "ga" is used commonly as a particle to designate verbs? |
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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No. "ga" only marks a sentence subject, or the thing that *is* or *does* something. anata ga hashiru = "You will run" "ga" is marking "anata" -- you -- as the subject of this sentence. Because "hashiru" -- to run -- is a verb, "anata" is understood to be the one who will *do* the running. kore ga jisho da = "This is a dictionary" "ga" is marking "kore" -- this -- as the subject of this sentence. "jisho" -- dictionary -- is a noun followed by the copula "da" -- is,are,am,were,etc. --, so "kore" is understood to *be* a dictionary. "ga" marks sentence subjects. Not verbs, not nouns, not topics. Just SENTENCE SUBJECTS. Now "wa", for lack of a better term, marks CONVERSATION SUBJECTS. We call those "topics". ga = marks subject of sentences wa = marks subject of conversations (called "topics") I too had a tough time understanding this concept at first, but you'll get it eventually.
ã“ã“ã«ä½•ã‚’言ã†ã®ã‹å…¨ã分ã‹ã‚‰ãªã„。。。
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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So "ga" is more specific. As in, it refers to a more specific object like a rock, while "wa" marks the point of the conversation? So, if the topic of the conversation is a cat, then the cat would be used with a "wa?" |
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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Yeah, pretty much. One thing with "wa", though: it can mark almost *anything* as a topic. Nouns, pronouns, verbs, or even entire sentences. And depending on WHERE you mark a topic change, you can express a number of possible meanings. But... You'll learn each of those constructions over time. There's no need to memorize them all at once.
ã“ã“ã«ä½•ã‚’言ã†ã®ã‹å…¨ã分ã‹ã‚‰ãªã„。。。
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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I just read another post. So "wa" is a topic marker while "ga" is a subject marker? That explains a lot. |
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Re: "Wa" and "ga"
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| Wow!! Thanks for the explanation and lessons. You are a graet teacher, Filter!!! |