In this section, we will learn some new particles essential for using verbs. We will learn how to specify the direct object of a verb and the location where a verb takes place whether it’s physical or abstract.<\/p>\n
The first particle we will learn is the object particle because it is a very straightforward particle. The \u300c\u3092\u300d character is attached to the end of a word to signify that that word is the direct object of the verb. This character is essentially never used anywhere else. That is why the katakana equivalent \u300c\u30f2\u300d is almost never used since particles are always written in hiragana. The \u300c\u3092\u300d character, while technically pronounced as \/wo\/ essentially sounds like \/o\/ in real speech. Here are some examples of the direct object particle in action.<\/p>\n
Unlike the direct object we’re familiar with in English, places can also be the direct object of motion verbs such as \u300c\u6b69\u304f<\/span>\u300d and \u300c\u8d70\u308b<\/span>\u300d. Since the motion verb is done to<\/i> the location, the concept of direct object is the same in Japanese. However, as you can see by the next examples, it often translates to something different in English due to the slight difference of the concept of direct object.<\/p>\n When you use \u300c\u3059\u308b<\/span>\u300d with a noun, the \u300c\u3092\u300d particle is optional and you can treat the whole [noun+\u3059\u308b<\/span>] as one verb.<\/p>\n The \u300c\u306b\u300d particle can specify a target of a verb. This is different from the \u300c\u3092\u300d particle in which the verb does something to<\/i> the direct object. With the \u300c\u306b\u300d particle, the verb does something toward<\/i> the word associated with the \u300c\u306b\u300d particle. For example, the target of any motion verb is specified by the \u300c\u306b\u300d particle.<\/p>\n As you can see in the last example, the target particle always targets “to” rather than “from”. If you wanted to say, “come from” for example, you would need to use \u300c\u304b\u3089\u300d, which means “from”. If you used \u300c\u306b\u300d, it would instead mean “come to<\/i>“. \u300c\u304b\u3089\u300d is also often paired with \u300c\u307e\u3067\u300d, which means “up to”.<\/p>\n The idea of a target in Japanese is very general and is not restricted to motion verbs. For example, the location of an object is defined as the target of the verb for existence \uff08\u3042\u308b<\/span> and \u3044\u308b<\/span>\uff09. Time is also a common target. Here are some examples of non-motion verbs and their targets<\/p>\n Note: Don’t forget to use \u300c\u3042\u308b<\/span>\u300d for inanimate objects such as the chair and \u300c\u3044\u308b<\/span>\u300d for animate objects such as the cat.<\/p>\n While the \u300c\u306b\u300d particle is not always required to indicate time, there is a slight difference in meaning between using the target particle and not using anything at all. In the following examples, the target particle makes the date a specific target emphasizing that the friend will go to Japan at that time. Without the particle, there is no special emphasis.<\/p>\n While \u300c\u3078\u300d is normally pronounced \/he\/, when it is being used as a particle, it is always pronounced \/e\/ \uff08\u3048\uff09. The primary difference between the \u300c\u306b\u300d and \u300c\u3078\u300d particle is that \u300c\u306b\u300d goes to<\/i> a target as the final, intended destination (both physical or abstract). The \u300c\u3078\u300d particle, on the other hand, is used to express the fact that one is setting out towards the direction<\/i> of the target. As a result, it is only used with directional motion verbs. It also does not guarantee whether the target is the final intended destination, only that one is heading towards that direction. In other words, the \u300c\u306b\u300d particle sticks to the destination while the \u300c\u3078\u300d particle is fuzzy about where one is ultimately headed. For example, if we choose to replace \u300c\u306b\u300d with \u300c\u3078\u300d in the first three examples of the previous section, the nuance changes slightly.<\/p>\n Note that we cannot use the \u300c\u3078\u300d particle with verbs that have no physical direction. For example, the following is incorrect.<\/p>\n This does not mean to say that \u300c\u3078\u300d cannot set out towards an abstract concept. In fact, because of the fuzzy directional meaning of this particle, the \u300c\u3078\u300d particle can also be used to talk about setting out towards certain future goals or expectations.<\/p>\n The \u300c\u3067\u300d particle will allow us to specify the context in which the action is performed. For example, if a person ate a fish, where did he eat it? If a person went to school, by what means did she go? With what will you eat the soup? All of these questions can be answered with the \u300c\u3067\u300d particle. Here are some examples.<\/p>\n It may help to think of \u300c\u3067\u300d as meaning “by way of”. This way, the same meaning will kind of translate into what the sentence means. The examples will then read: “Saw by way of movie theater”, “Go home by way of bus”, and “Ate lunch by way of restaurant.”<\/p>\n The word for “what” \uff08\u4f55<\/span>\uff09 is quite annoying because while it’s usually read as \u300c\u306a\u306b\u300d, sometimes it is read as \u300c\u306a\u3093\u300d depending on how it’s used. And since it’s always written in Kanji, you can’t tell which it is. I would suggest sticking with \u300c\u306a\u306b\u300d until someone corrects you for when it should be \u300c\u306a\u3093\u300d. With the \u300c\u3067\u300d particle, it is read as \u300c\u306a\u306b\u300d as well. (Hold the mouse cursor over the word to check the reading.)<\/p>\n Here’s the confusing part. There is a colloquial version of the word “why” that is used much more often than the less colloquial version \u300c\u3069\u3046\u3057\u3066<\/span>\u300d or the more forceful \u300c\u306a\u305c<\/span>\u300d. It is also written as \u300c\u4f55\u3067<\/span>\u300d but it is read as \u300c\u306a\u3093\u3067\u300d. This is a completely separate word and has nothing to do with the \u300c\u3067\u300d particle.<\/p>\n The \u300c\u304b\u3089\u300d here meaning “because” is different from the \u300c\u304b\u3089\u300d we just learned and will be covered later in the compound sentence section. Basically the point is that the two sentences, while written the same way, are read differently and mean completely different things. Don’t worry. This causes less confusion than you think because 95% of the time, the latter is used rather than the former. And even when \u300c\u306a\u306b\u3067\u300d is intended, the context will leave no mistake on which one is being used. Even in this short example snippet, you can tell which it is by looking at the answer to the question.<\/p>\n There are times when the location of an action is also the topic of a sentence. You can attach the topic particle \uff08\u300c\u306f\u300d and \u300c\u3082\u300d\uff09 to the three particles that indicate location \uff08\u300c\u306b\u300d\u3001\u300c\u3078\u300d\u3001\u300c\u3067\u300d\uff09 when the location is the topic. We’ll see how location might become the topic in the following examples.<\/p>\n \u30dc\u30d6\uff1a\u5b66\u6821<\/span>\u306b\u884c\u3063\u305f<\/span>\uff1f \u30a2\u30ea\u30b9\uff1a\u884c\u304b\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f<\/span>\u3002 \u30dc\u30d6\uff1a\u56f3\u66f8\u9928<\/span>\u306b\u306f<\/em>\uff1f \u30a2\u30ea\u30b9\uff1a\u56f3\u66f8\u9928<\/span>\u306b\u3082<\/em>\u884c\u304b\u306a\u304b\u3063\u305f<\/span>\u3002 In this example, Bob brings up a new topic (library) and so the location becomes the topic. The sentence is actually an abbreviated version of \u300c\u56f3\u66f8\u9928<\/span>\u306b\u306f\u884c\u3063\u305f<\/span>\uff1f\u300d which you can ascertain from the context.<\/p>\n \u30dc\u30d6\uff1a\u3069\u3053<\/span>\u3067\u98df\u3079\u308b<\/span>\uff1f \u30a2\u30ea\u30b9\uff1a\u30a4\u30bf\u30ea\u30a2<\/span>\u30ec\u30b9\u30c8\u30e9\u30f3<\/span>\u3067\u306f<\/em>\u3069\u3046<\/span>\uff1f Bob asks, “Where shall we eat?” and Alice suggests an Italian restaurant. A sentence like, “How about…” usually brings up a new topic because the person is suggesting something new. In this case, the location (restaurant) is being suggested so it becomes the topic.<\/p>\n The direct object particle is different from particles related to location in that you cannot use any other particles at the same time. For example, going by the previous section, you might have guessed that you can say \u300c\u3092\u306f\u300d to express a direct object that is also the topic but this is not the case. A topic can be a direct object without using the \u300c\u3092\u300d particle. In fact, putting the \u300c\u3092\u300d particle in will make it wrong.<\/p>\n Please take care to not make this mistake.<\/p>\n In this section, we will learn some new particles essential for using verbs. We will learn how to specify the direct object of a verb and the location where a verb takes place whether it’s physical or abstract. The direct object \u300c\u3092\u300d particle Vocabulary \u9b5a \u3010\u3055\u304b\u306a\u3011 – fish \u98df\u3079\u308b \u3010\u305f\u30fb\u3079\u308b\u3011 (ru-verb) – to eat \u30b8\u30e5\u30fc\u30b9 … <\/p>\n\n
\nAimlessly walk through town. (Lit: Aimlessly walk town)<\/li>\n
\nRun through expressway. (Lit: Run expressway)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nStudy Japanese everyday.<\/li>\n
\nRegistered email address.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThe target \u300c\u306b\u300d particle<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
\n
Examples<\/h3>\n
\n
\nBob went to Japan.<\/li>\n
\nNot go back home.<\/li>\n
\nCome to room.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nAlice came from America.<\/li>\n
\nWill do homework from today to tomorrow.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nCat is in room.<\/li>\n
\nChair was in the kitchen.<\/li>\n
\nMet good friend.<\/li>\n
\nJim will become doctor.<\/li>\n
\nWent to library last week.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nNext year, friend go to Japan.<\/li>\n
\nFriend go to Japan next year.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThe directional \u300c\u3078\u300d particle<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
\n
Examples<\/h3>\n
\n
\nBob headed towards<\/em> Japan.<\/li>\n
\nNot go home toward<\/em> house.<\/li>\n
\nCome towards<\/em> room.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\n\uff08Grammatically incorrect version of \u300c\u533b\u8005<\/span>\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/span>\u300d.\uff09<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nGo towards victory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nThe contextual \u300c\u3067\u300d particle<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
\n
Examples<\/h3>\n
\n
\nSaw at movie theater.<\/li>\n
\nGo home by bus.<\/li>\n
\nAte lunch at restaurant.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nUsing \u300c\u3067\u300d with \u300c\u4f55<\/span>\u300d<\/h3>\n
\n
\nCame by the way of what?<\/li>\n
\nCame by the way of bus.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nWhy did you come?<\/li>\n
\nBecause I am free (as in have nothing to do).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nWhen location is the topic<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
\n
Example 1<\/h3>\n
\nBob: (Did you) go to school?<\/p>\n
\nAlice: Didn’t go.<\/p>\n
\nBob: What about library?<\/p>\n
\nAlice: Also didn’t go to library.<\/p>\nExample 2<\/h3>\n
\nBob: Eat where?<\/p>\n
\nAlice: How about Italian restaurant?<\/p>\nWhen direct object is the topic<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
\n
Examples<\/h3>\n
\n
\nLearn Japanese.<\/li>\n
\nAbout Japanese, (will) learn it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\n(This is incorrect.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"