The Subject Marker が
主格を表す格助詞「が」
Particles are small affixes that attach to words to indicate their grammatical function. Among these, “case particles” (格助詞) are particularly important. While they are somewhat analogous to English prepositions, they do not align perfectly with them, nor does English have a preposition for every Japanese case particle.
What is Case?
Case refers to the grammatical function a noun plays in a sentence. For this lesson, we will focus on one of the most important grammatical functions: the subject, which is marked by the case particle が.
が≠は
So far, we have not encountered the case particle が, even in the Japanese iteration of the basic sentence pattern “X is Y,” but ironically, が is more fundamental to the grammar of basic sentence structures in Japanese than the particle は which has been seen.
Whereas が’s role is defined by the grammatical function it marks, は’s role is tied to the commentary that is lived out in the surrounding context. The importance of this relationship will become clearer as you become familiarized with them.
Terminology Recap
Before diving into the main discussion, let’s review the essential grammar terms you will need to understand as we move forward.
- Subject: The person/thing that performs an action (with verb predicates) or is what exhibits a certain state (with adjectival/adjectival-noun predicates).
- Predicate: The part of a sentence that makes a statement about the subject.
- Copula: A word used to link the subject and predicate of a sentence.
- Noun: In its most basic definition, a word that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance, or quality.
- Adjective: A word that describes a state and may constitute the predicate at the end of a sentence or be a part of a noun-predicate if it is the modifier.
- Verb: A word that describes an action, state, or occurrence. It may constitute the predicate at the end of a sentence or be part of a noun-predicate when used as a participle/modifier.
- Auxiliary: An ending that helps construct conjugations in adjectives, verbs, and other auxiliaries.
- Independent Clause: A phrase that stands alone as a complete sentence.
- Plain Speech: 常体語 refers to the entire plain speech register in Japanese grammar.
- Plain Style: 常体 is the plain speech rendition of any given phrase.
- Plain Form: 基本形 is the basic form of any given phrase: a.k.a, its plain form.
- Polite Speech: 丁寧語 refers to the entire polite speech register in Japanese grammar.
- Polite Style: 丁寧体 is the rendition of polite speech with any particular phrasing.
- Polite Form: 丁寧形 refers to polite speech conjugations.
- Case Particle: A particle that attaches to a noun to mark a particular grammatical function/case.
- Intransitive Verb: A verb that only takes a subject and does not take an object.
Important Note on Context
The example sentences provided in this lesson are presented in isolation—meaning the context is limited to the sentence itself. At this stage, it is not constructive to consider how が might be interpreted or could be replaced by は in various contexts. The focus here is solely on understanding its fundamental role within the confines of natural, isolated sentences.
The Case Particle が
格助詞「が」の使い方
The particle が marks the subject1 (主語) of a sentence. This refers to the person or thing that:
- Performs an action (in sentences with verb predicates).
- Exhibits a state (in sentences with noun-predicates, adjectival predicates, or adjectival-noun predicates).
This definition updates the one introduced in Lessons 10–11, adding more depth to our understanding of が so that we can better understand how things like adjectives, adjectival nouns, and verbs function even before learning how to conjugate them.
Why Mark the Subject with が?
Marking the subject with が serves to highlight information that is newly registered by the speaker. This information is then distilled to the listener as new information.
This distinction helps が serve as an objective means for:
- Making neutral statements.
- Providing answers to questions.
- Asking direct questions such as “What is…?” or “Who is…?”
In addition to these purposes, が is commonly seen in sentences involving:
- Statements of existence
- The five senses
- Simple intransitive verbs (verbs that do not take objects)
- Spontaneous remarks
To tackle all of these contexts in the simplest yet logically sound fashion possible, we will investigate these environments based on how they relate to each other.
New Information
Whereas the main purpose of は is to topicalize something to bring attention to the comment that follows, the particle が is used mostly to present new information. In doing so, the statements can be neutral or biased. First, we will investigate the neutral-leaning contexts in which が appears.
Existential Sentences
Neutral statements describe states and or actions. They form the objective truth of the recent past, the present, or the future. In doing so, existential sentences are the simplest to understand and form.
Existential sentences are statements that indicate the existence of something. These sentences often include additional information, such as location.
In English, the subject of an existential sentence is the dummy pronoun “there,” while the thing that exists is treated as the object:
i. There is a dog in the yard.
ii. There are oranges on the table.
iii. There is not a dragon here.
iv. There are not any pens in the room.
In Japanese, however, the thing that exists is treated as the subject, and existence is expressed using specific verbs:
- ある: Used for non-living (inanimate) objects.
- いる: Used for living (animate) beings.
In Lesson 11, we learned how the copula is used in XはY｛だ・です｝ when English uses “there is…” to state that something exists in a particular situation, but to simply state that something exists, Xが｛ある・いる｝ is used instead.
1. 飴がある。
There is candy.
2. 鉛筆がある。
There is/are pencil(s).
3. 鳥がいる。
There is/are (a) bird(s).
4. 牛がいる。
There is/are (a) cow(s).
Animacy of the subject
Animacy is a grammatical notion that pertains to how alive or sentient an object is perceived, and it is this feature that is used to differentiate between ある and いる.
With living, animate things, いる is used. Sentient status is broadly applied to all animals in Japanese.
5. 猿がいる。
There is/are (a) monkey(s).
While still alive, things like “trees” are not deemed to be animate. Their stationary existence makes them likened to any other inanimate object. As such, they are not deemed to be sentient in Japanese grammar and are thus paired with ある.
6. 木がある。
There is/are (a) tree(s).
Living things die. Once they die, they lose their animacy. Thus, Ex. 7 specifically refers to a dead fish, and while the fish’s dead status is understood by the use of ある, the practical reason for why a speaker would utter this phrase would instead be to imply that the “fish” is being treated as a foodstuff.
7. 魚がある。
There is/are (a) fish.
Adding Location to an Existential Sentence
In existential sentences, the location of the subject is marked by the case particle に, which corresponds to the English prepositions “in” and “on.” In Japanese, location typically takes precedence over the subject, resulting in the location marked by に typically appearing before the subject of existence marked by が. Ultimately, exact placement is determined by whatever order of information best reflects the ranking of importance those said elements have to the speaker.
8. あそこに学校がある。
There is a school over there.
9. 部屋に猫がいる。
There is/are (a) cat(s) in the room.
10. 机の上に本がある。
There is/are a book(s) on top of the desk.
11. テーブルの下にネズミがいる。
There is/are (a) mouse/mice underneath the table.
12. 橋の隣に滝がある。
There is a waterfall next to the bridge.
13. 図書館が中にある。
A library is inside.
Neutral states w/ adjectival/Adjectival-Noun Predicates
While neutral states often pertain to existence, the next most common scenario involves making a comment about how something is. Such sentences involve predicates which utilize adjectives or adjectival nouns.
14. 品質がいい。
The quality is good.
15. （彼は）礼儀が悪い。
His manners are bad.
Literally: As for him, (his) manners are bad.
16. （あなたは）頭がいい。
You’re smart.
Literally: As for you, your mind is good.
Neutral Phenomena: Intransitive Verb Predicates
Now that we have looked at how neutral statements may pertain to states, now it is time to look at how they may pertain to actions. The actions that we will be looking at constitute intransitive verbs.
Intransitive verbs are verbs that describe actions (phenomena) that occur. For the purpose of this discussion, we will only be looking at intransitive verbs which lack a willful agent (doer). This allows for all these actions to have one thing in common: what happens is out of anyone’s control.
To better showcase how neutral phenomena are described with が, other verbal conjugations beyond the plain non-past form will be used. However, you do not have to worry about learning them just yet.
17. 雪が積もる。
(The) snow (will) accumulate(s).
18. 強い風が吹きました。(Polite Speech)
Strong wind blew.
19. 雨が降ります。(Polite Speech)
It is going to rain.
20. ドアが閉まります！(Polite Speech)
The door(s) will close!
21. 台風が上陸しました。(Polite Speech)
A/the typhoon landed.
22. 猿が木から落ちた。
A monkey fell from a/the tree.
23. 日食が起きます。(Polite Speech)
There will be a solar eclipse.
The Five senses
The natural occurrence of the five senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—also falls under the umbrella of neutral statements pertaining to phenomena which lack an active agent. Although there is a person or thing which experiences these senses, there is no control over said sensory information.
24. 寒気がする。
I’m chilly.
25. 臭い匂いがする。
There is an awful smell.
26. 変な音がする。
There is a strange noise.
27. 塩辛い味がする。
It tastes salty.
28. 山が見える。
The mountain(s) [is/are] visible.
While intransitive verbs constitute most examples of neutral statements pertaining to the five senses, adjectives may also take this role.
29. 肌触りがいい。
It feels good to the touch.
Exhaustive Listing
The term “exhaustive listing” is crucial to properly understanding が’s appearance in questions—both the questions themselves and their answers—along with an array of other contexts. These are the “biased” contexts alluded to earlier.
It is “X” that is Y
When a statement with が is “biased” rather than “neutral,” it indicates that only the subject in question is exclusively indicative of whatever the predicate states. By exclusively being the subject which makes the statement true, all other options in the speaker’s mind have been “exhaustively listed” and canceled out. Also, for the speaker to go out of their way to say that “X IS (WHAT IS) Y,” the statement must be intrinsically true.
Isolated sentences using this nuance can, at times, be difficult to identify. To alleviate this problem, we will briefly also cover the most common rephrasing of the XがY pattern: YはXだ.
This transformation involves two key grammatical phenomena:
- Nominalization2: The predicate Y in “XがY” is turned into a noun-like phrase.
- Topicalization: The nominalized Y is then marked with は for emphasis as to what pertains to the matter at hand (as opposed to other statements).
Both these grammatical phenomena will be discussed in greater detail later, for now, Ex. 30a-b gives the simplest comparison of these patterns possible.
30a. 彼が学生です。
30b. 学生なのは彼です。(Less Emphatic Rephrasing of 30a)
30a. (Of all the people that could be being talked about) he is the student (and no one else is a student).
30b. He is the one who is the student.
This exhaustive-listing function of が introduces a level of exclusivity, making it a powerful tool for nuanced expression. As your understanding of Japanese grammar grows, recognizing this distinction will become more intuitive.
31. この教科書が便利です。
This textbook is useful.
Imagine arriving at the best beach with the “sickest waves.” You might be used to the gentle waves of your local harbor, but tackling these powerful waves might require some pro-level skills. Upon seeing those waves roaring towards them, the first thing you might exclaim could be:
32. 波が高っ！
These waves are high!
Using ～のほう w/ the Exhaustive-Listing Function of が
The structure ～のほう (literally meaning “side (of a comparison)”) attaches to the subject marked by the exhaustive-listing が when the statement itself must be made with the canceled-out options in the speaker’s mind invoked indirectly to make the statement both absolute and clear to the listener.
33. 新幹線のほうが早い。
The bullet train is the (means which is the) fast one.
Incidentally, the Y in the pattern XがY can be replaced by [Y’がZ]. This results in the sentence having two nouns marked by が. However, these two nouns must never hold the exact same function. This Xが[Y’がZ] pattern can be broken down as…
Xが[Y’が Z], where:
- X = The main subject of the sentence.
- Y’ = The auxiliary subject that relates to Z.
- Z = The predicate describing an attribute of Y.
In this arrangement, Y’ is ancillary to X by nature, meaning it serves as a supporting detail within the broader statement about X, but is directly related to Z. Meanwhile [Y’がZ] as a whole constitutes Y, the predicate of X.
34. この魚のほうが歯応えが弱い。
Literally: This fish is whose texture is weaker.
This fish has the weaker texture.
The Exhaustive-Listing が in Questions
The exhaustive-listing function of が also comes into play when a direct and substantive answer is required. This usage mirrors its English equivalents, where the phrasing emphasizes exclusivity or specificity. To construct such direct questions in Japanese, が is attached to an interrogative (question word).
Here are the fundamental interrogatives used to form such questions:
| who? | 誰 | what? | 何 |
| when? | いつ | what time? | 何時 |
| where? | どこ | why? | 何故 |
In English, question words typically appear at the front of the sentence. This is known as “wh-movement.” Japanese does not exhibit this feature. Meaning, the question word can appear in the subject position or as part of the predicate itself.
35a. 病院はどこですか。(どこ＝part of noun-predicate)
Where is the hospital?
35b. どこが病院ですか。(どこ = subject)
Where is the hospital?
This all relates back to the difference between XがY and its paraphrasing YはX. As such, Ex. 35b is not a simple question about where the hospital is. Imagine a person looking at a line of buildings and wondering which is the hospital. There could even be a hint of frustration or urgency in the question.
As another example of these two patterns side by side, consider how Ex. 36a and Ex. 36b.
36a. 誰が社長ですか？
36b. 社長は誰ですか？
36a. Who’s the company president?
36b. Who is the company president?
Ex. 36a: This phrasing is appropriate when there is a group of people present, and you want to identify who among them is the company president. The focus is on selecting the president from the group.
Ex. 36b: This phrasing is used when the company president is already the focus of the conversation. In this case, you are simply asking the listener to identify who the company president is. This conversation does not require the company president to be physically present.
The key takeaway here is, of course, how context dictates particle usage:
- Ex. 36a emphasizes identifying a subject from a group (new information).
- Ex. 36b assumes prior knowledge or context, shifting the focus to confirming details about the subject.
37. 何故ここに幽霊が存在するんですか。
Why is it that ghosts exist here?
38. 何がおかしい！？
What (is it that) is so funny!?
So far, we know about the patterns XはY, XがY, and YがX, but these values are best understood when the subject and the topic are the same entity. This does not have to be the case, however, as is shown here in Ex. 39. This is how は and が most often appear in tandem. Not only that, we see that が may appear twice.
39. 明日は｛いつ・何時｝（が）都合がいいですか。
As for tomorrow, [when/what time] is convenient (for you)?
The dropping of が after ｛いつ・何時｝ is not detrimental, but its presence would imply that the answer inevitably cancels out all other time slots.
Answers to questions w/ Exhaustive-Listing が
Questions brought about with the exhaustive-listing が are typically answered back with the information sought. が, thus, provides an exclusive answer to the question at hand.
40. 「誰が行く？」「僕が行きます。」
“Who’s the one going?” “I’m the one going.”
41. 「何がいい？」「ラーメンがいいでしょう。」
“What would be good?” “Ramen would be good.”
Spontaneous Remarks
Offshoots of either が’s role in neutral statements or its exhaustive-listing function, spontaneous remarks possess an exclamatory tone, of which there are three common effects that could be indicated:
- A lightbulb moment.
- A sense of urgency.
- A sense of discovery
Lightbulb Moment or Sense of Urgency
Whenever someone spontaneously utters something, the statement is often in reference to some immediate concern.
42. あ、この薬が効くかもしれない！
Oh, this medicine might work.
Suppose you find out a friend has a cold and you have some cold medicine on you. The moment you hear about your friend’s condition, you take out the medicine and say this will help them.
43. お客さんが来たぞ！
Customer(s) are here!
You are the owner of a restaurant. It is nearing lunch hour and at last you hear the first guest(s) entering.
Sense of Discovery
Spontaneous remarks may also be made to express surprise regarding some discovery. This application translates as “X is what Y is…”
44. あ、これが雪だ！
Ah, this is what snow is!
45. あ、あの人が噂の山田師匠だ！
Ah, that person is the rumored Master Yamada!
が as an Object Marker?
Having already learned quite a lot about how が functions as a subject marker, we will study its function as an object marker in stative-transitive predicates (See Lesson 22).
- The case for “subject marking” is known as the “nominative case” (主格). ↩︎
- The Y in Ex. 30b is [学生なの]. The な here is actually the attributive form (連体形) of the copula だ. Its purpose in this sentence is to maintain 学生 as a predicate noun within a dependent clause (従属節)—”student” is the subject of this clause but not the subject of the main clause; the subject of the main clause is [学生なの] as a whole—much in the same way “who [is a student]’ functions. [is a student] cannot stand alone in the same way 学生なの cannot, and the particle の here acts like the “who” in the English sentence, allowing for [is a student] to function as a noun. Although not as natural, the English could also be rendered “it is he [being a student],” which is more parallel to how the Japanese sentence works grammatically. ↩︎