タグ: wa-ga construction

This Japanese learning series refer to the famous textbook “Minna no Nihongo”. On its chapter 9, the so-called “Wa-ga construction” is introduced. And this is also the first appearance of important particle “ga” in “Minna no Nihongo”. Actually, I don’t think it is good to introduce the particle “ga” through “Wa-ga construction”.

 Probably a Japanese learner would think the particles “wa” and “ga” can co-exist once having learned “Wa-ga construction”. And some of learners would stick to “Wa-ga construction” too much, while they wouldn’t learn the functions of particles.

 A Japanese teacher is supposed to explain “Wa-ga construction” as below;

1. [Topic]+wa+ [Subject]+ga+[Predicate].

Sometime, it is good to understand like 1, but sometime is not. For the latter, it seems like;

2. [Subject]+wa+ [Object]+ga+[Predicate].

Do you remember the structure of transitive verb predicate sentences?

3. [Subject]+wa+[Object]+o+ [Transitive verb].

When you look at 2 and 3, what do you think about the particles “ga” and “o”? Would you think that the particles “ga” and “o” are interchangeable? No. Most of the time, they are not interchangeable, though there are some exceptions.

But it is a fact that there are sentences like 2. Therefore, some textbooks explain that particle “ga” is for subject and object, which is really a bad explanation because subject and object are totally different kind in a sentence. The most important and basic thing in Japanese language is that particle “ga” is for subject (Subject marker). Remember this. Don’t say “ga” is for object. It is particle “o” that marks an object. But when you want to identify something as an object that;

– you want

– you like

– you are good at

– you understand

– you have

– you can

particle “ga” is used for such an object, and the sentence would be like 2.

Again, you need to know that “ga” is for subject. For example, sentences as below are common.

4. [Subject]+ga+[Object]+o+ [Transitive verb].

But as exceptions, “ga” is used for objects that is something special you want to identify.

Today we are learning a Na-adjective “Sukina” which means “like”. Practice and remember the following conversations;

A : Satou-san wa Nani ga Sukidesuka. (Sato-san, what do you like?)

B : Watashi wa Ryokou ga Sukidesu. (I like traveling.)

<この投稿は“スリーエーネットワーク、みんなの日本語 初級I 第2版, 第9課A1”の内容を参照しています。>