A, but/however B
Used to show a contradiction or opposite.
- A, but/however B Used to show a contradiction or opposite.
- Marks the subject A in the sentence
- That A (negative, abusive) A+め (usually followed by が) is a word that has a negative, abusive nuance: あいつめ, あほうめ, etc.
食べたいですが、お金がありません。
I want to eat, but I don't have money.
15
今は晴れているが、明日は雨だろう。
It is sunny now, but it seems like it will be rainy tomorrow.
8
携帯は便利だが、悪い面もある。
Cellphones are handy, but there are negative aspects to them as well.
5
私は歌が好きですが、あまりうまくはないです。
I like songs, but I'm not very good (at singing).
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
行きたいが行けない (I want to go but I can't)
Where this grammar is found
User notes
まさむね123
Level: 1
(6 years ago)
@guest (but, however, still) - could be used as meaning based on the previous note.
1
Level:
(13 years ago)
Be careful of always thinking of 「が」 as a purely contrastive conjunction. Just like the English [but], you will often see 「が」 join together two clauses with a fairly weak contrasting intention:
彼は５０歳ですが、１０歳は若く見えます。
He is fifty but looks ten years younger.
He is fifty and looks ten years younger.
Then sometimes, 「が」 won't provide any contrast at all, instead functioning more like 「そして」 or the English [and]:
乗客はほとんどいなかったが、たいした怪我もなく避難した。
There were few passengers, and they escaped without serious injury.
There were few passengers, who escaped without serious injury.
Finally, there will be occasions where 「が」 actually approaches the usage of the semicolon in English, joining together two closely related independent clauses:
テニスのラケットを買いたいのですが、スポーツ用品売り場はどこですか？
I'd like to get a tennis racket; where's the sporting goods section?
I'd like to get a tennis racket. Where's the sporting goods section?
彼は５０歳ですが、１０歳は若く見えます。
He is fifty but looks ten years younger.
He is fifty and looks ten years younger.
Then sometimes, 「が」 won't provide any contrast at all, instead functioning more like 「そして」 or the English [and]:
乗客はほとんどいなかったが、たいした怪我もなく避難した。
There were few passengers, and they escaped without serious injury.
There were few passengers, who escaped without serious injury.
Finally, there will be occasions where 「が」 actually approaches the usage of the semicolon in English, joining together two closely related independent clauses:
テニスのラケットを買いたいのですが、スポーツ用品売り場はどこですか？
I'd like to get a tennis racket; where's the sporting goods section?
I'd like to get a tennis racket. Where's the sporting goods section?
15
Marks the subject A in the sentence
- A, but/however B Used to show a contradiction or opposite.
- Marks the subject A in the sentence
- That A (negative, abusive) A+め (usually followed by が) is a word that has a negative, abusive nuance: あいつめ, あほうめ, etc.
8
すみません、私がお皿を割りました。
I'm sorry; I broke the plate.
8
父が駅まで送ってくれた。
My father took me to the station.
4
この映画が今年の金賞を捕るだろう。
I think this movie'll take first place this year.
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
お酒が好き (I like sake)
Where this grammar is found
User notes
やれやれ
Level: 221
(3 months ago)
Something that helped me tremendously to differentiate the usage between the particles “ga” and “ha” was the concept of “new information”.
In the case of the particle は: We use the particle は when the new information or the information being asked about is the one that comes after the particle.
私は日本のIT企業で働いています。(before this sentence, my interlocutor did not know that I work for a Japanese IT company).
In the case of the particle が: We use the particle が when the new information or the information being asked about is the one that comes before the particle.
私が日本のIT企業で働いています。(we have previously talked about who is working in IT for a Japanese company, and the new information is that I am the one who is working there).
If I'm wrong, please correct me.
0
Kuromi姫
Level: 31
(3 years ago)
I'm a bit disappointed that no one has brought up Core Dolly's explanation on core sentences, so I will take a moment to write it here. This has helped me tremendously in understanding particles and being able to write better, and I hope it does the same for you. I would highly encourage you to seek out her explanation of the other main particles after reading this.
「が」is the core particle for all Japanese sentences, even when it's not visible. It tells us who the subject is.
Every sentence can be broken down into one of two types of basic sentences: [A does B] or [A is B]. [A] is the subject (noun) while [B] is a predicate (verb, adjective, or noun). Since every sentence has a subject, every sentence in Japanese has「が」. [Aが] should be considered as one unit.
In verb sentences, [Aが] tells us who/what does the action.
- 「子供たちが遊んだ。」 (The) children played.
- 「犬が食べている。」(The) dog is eating.
In adjective and noun sentences, [Aが] tells us who/what receives an attribute or description. But there is an important difference between the two. Japanese adjectives naturally carry the meaning "to be" with it; when we describe someone or something with an adjective, we don't need any additional information. Nouns (and adjectival nouns / na-adjectives) don't have this property, and that's why we need a copula (だ、です) at the end of the sentence. For noun sentences, [Bだ] should be considered as one unit.
Compare the following sentences:
- 「私が猫だ。」I am (a) cat.
- 「アニメが好きだ。」Anime is liked/favorite. (It's not "I like anime."「好き」is an adjectival noun that is describing anime.)
- 「本が面白い。」(The) book is interesting.
- 「お弁当が欲しい。」Bento is wanted/desired/wished for. (It's not really "I want bento."「欲しい」is an adjective that is describing bento.)
Even when 「が」is not visible in the sentence, the concept is still there. In English, we wouldn't say something like "My sister is a student. My sister studies math." Instead, we would say "My sister is a student. She studies math." You know I'm talking about the sister, so why would I need to specifically repeat the subject again?
Japanese does the same thing:「妹が学生だ。数学を学んでいる。」In the second sentence, 「が」 isn't actively there (only hidden) because the subject is understood by the speaker and listener. If it helps, in this case you could think of the lack of「が」as "he/she/it."
(Note: We wouldn't say 「彼女が数学を学んでいる」 because the Japanese language is not ego-centric. English is all about me, you, he, she, we, etc., but Japanese just omits the subject altogether.)
「が」is the core particle for all Japanese sentences, even when it's not visible. It tells us who the subject is.
Every sentence can be broken down into one of two types of basic sentences: [A does B] or [A is B]. [A] is the subject (noun) while [B] is a predicate (verb, adjective, or noun). Since every sentence has a subject, every sentence in Japanese has「が」. [Aが] should be considered as one unit.
In verb sentences, [Aが] tells us who/what does the action.
- 「子供たちが遊んだ。」 (The) children played.
- 「犬が食べている。」(The) dog is eating.
In adjective and noun sentences, [Aが] tells us who/what receives an attribute or description. But there is an important difference between the two. Japanese adjectives naturally carry the meaning "to be" with it; when we describe someone or something with an adjective, we don't need any additional information. Nouns (and adjectival nouns / na-adjectives) don't have this property, and that's why we need a copula (だ、です) at the end of the sentence. For noun sentences, [Bだ] should be considered as one unit.
Compare the following sentences:
- 「私が猫だ。」I am (a) cat.
- 「アニメが好きだ。」Anime is liked/favorite. (It's not "I like anime."「好き」is an adjectival noun that is describing anime.)
- 「本が面白い。」(The) book is interesting.
- 「お弁当が欲しい。」Bento is wanted/desired/wished for. (It's not really "I want bento."「欲しい」is an adjective that is describing bento.)
Even when 「が」is not visible in the sentence, the concept is still there. In English, we wouldn't say something like "My sister is a student. My sister studies math." Instead, we would say "My sister is a student. She studies math." You know I'm talking about the sister, so why would I need to specifically repeat the subject again?
Japanese does the same thing:「妹が学生だ。数学を学んでいる。」In the second sentence, 「が」 isn't actively there (only hidden) because the subject is understood by the speaker and listener. If it helps, in this case you could think of the lack of「が」as "he/she/it."
(Note: We wouldn't say 「彼女が数学を学んでいる」 because the Japanese language is not ego-centric. English is all about me, you, he, she, we, etc., but Japanese just omits the subject altogether.)
4
Belgand
Level: 1
(13 years ago)
Note that this is not the same as 「は」 though it can appear to be similar. 「は」 specifies a topic, not a subject. In particular「が」is often used when the subject is not known and you wish to use an interrogative, e.g. 誰 ("who") or どれ ("which") as the subject. If it helps think about how the translation would be different. While 「は」 can often be translated as "as for (subject)" 「が」 makes a bit more sense as "the one" or "the thing" You wouldn't say "as for who...". This also adds specificity as the unknown subject is now being discussed, not just a general topic which contains an unknown subject.
Compare 「御母さんは誰ですか。」"As for (the) mother, who is?" with「誰が御母さんですか。」"Who is the one (that) is mother?". The former is starting a topic (about the mother) and then asking a question within the scope of that topic (who is it?) while the latter is asking a question about the unknown subject of "who". If we swap「が」and「は」to get「誰は御母さんですか。」we end up with something more like "As for who, is (she) the mother?" and unless it's a vaudeville routine that doesn't make a lot of sense.
Likely it is for this reason that this is not commonly used to begin a conversation since no topic has been specified and this would make further conversation about the unknown subject (e.g. "who"). If the topic has already been introduced into the conversation or is readily apparent from context (e.g. you're standing in front of a group of women) it can be used more readily. Since this can be tricky it's probably best to use it in the former case to direct specific attention to an uncertain point about a topic already under discussion: 「御母さんは元気ですか。」「誰が御母さんですか。」"As for the mother, is she well?" "Who is the one that is the mother?".
「が」 is also used when utilizing 好き, 嫌い, and other adjectives. Hence why the example sentence,「酒が好きすき」 uses it.
Compare 「御母さんは誰ですか。」"As for (the) mother, who is?" with「誰が御母さんですか。」"Who is the one (that) is mother?". The former is starting a topic (about the mother) and then asking a question within the scope of that topic (who is it?) while the latter is asking a question about the unknown subject of "who". If we swap「が」and「は」to get「誰は御母さんですか。」we end up with something more like "As for who, is (she) the mother?" and unless it's a vaudeville routine that doesn't make a lot of sense.
Likely it is for this reason that this is not commonly used to begin a conversation since no topic has been specified and this would make further conversation about the unknown subject (e.g. "who"). If the topic has already been introduced into the conversation or is readily apparent from context (e.g. you're standing in front of a group of women) it can be used more readily. Since this can be tricky it's probably best to use it in the former case to direct specific attention to an uncertain point about a topic already under discussion: 「御母さんは元気ですか。」「誰が御母さんですか。」"As for the mother, is she well?" "Who is the one that is the mother?".
「が」 is also used when utilizing 好き, 嫌い, and other adjectives. Hence why the example sentence,「酒が好きすき」 uses it.
11
That A (negative, abusive)
A+め (usually followed by が) is a word that has a negative, abusive nuance: あいつめ, あほうめ, etc.
- A, but/however B Used to show a contradiction or opposite.
- Marks the subject A in the sentence
- That A (negative, abusive) A+め (usually followed by が) is a word that has a negative, abusive nuance: あいつめ, あほうめ, etc.
1
餓鬼どもめが大勢詰め掛けたんだ。
A crowd of those dang kids packed in.
0
隣町の不良連中めが喧嘩を売ってきた。
Those delinquents from the town over came to pick a fight.
Getting the sentences
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
あいつめが悪戯をした (those jerks were playing pranks)
Where this grammar is found
User notes
Discussion about this grammar
