One of the most important grammar in the Japanese language ② : Case Particle

Today’s topic is about “Case Particle,” one of the most important grammars and you may see it very often.

This is a series of the topic “Postpositional Particle” and I recommend you to check the previous blog before you read this.

ga(が), wo(を), ni(に), he(へ), to(と), yori(より), kara(から), de(で), ya(や), and no(の) are in this group.

It gives words the case, so Japanese people use them as showed below.

EN : Shall we go and see the cherry blossom?

JP : 私と桜を見に行きませんか? (watashito sakurawo miniikimasenka?)

Bold parts are case particles. “to(と)” means “together with” or “and” usually.

EN : I want an apple(apples) and an orange(oranges).

JP : りんごとみかんが欲しいです(ringoto mikanga hoshiidesu)

Japanese Language doesn’t have to tell whether it’s single or plural, so we’re not sure how many apple and oranges does he/she want.

“wo(を)” and “ni(に)” modify declinable word(verbs and adjectives) with the former words.

“桜を(sakurawo)” modifies “見に行く(miniiku)” and “桜を(sakurawo)” is the object of “見に行く(miniiku).”

“見に行く(miniiku)” can be divided into “見に(mini)” and “行く(iku),” and “見に(mini)” modifies “行く(iku)” and “見に(mini)” is the object of “行く(iku).”

Usually, Japanese people put “wo(を)” after an object and “ni(に)” after a place.

This is why Japanese people don’t say “桜に行く(sakurani iku)” because 桜(sakura) is a name of flower and not a place.

“ga(が)” usually gives the word the nominative case and “wo(を)” gives the word the objective case.

EN : Everyone chose him.

JP : みんなが彼を選んだ。(minnaga karewo eranda.)

I hope you enjoyed learning postpositional particle.

In the next blog, I’m going to introduce Conjunctive Particle, a type of postpositional particle.