Japanese Particles 助詞（じょし）- Which one to use? 

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14:32 "But of course you'll never eat Kyoto." Godzilla: Konnichiwa!

You already knew particles were going to be complicated when the thumbnail showed two different にs.

One of the fun things about learning Japanese is discovering the oddities of your own language.

I’m glad that you actually touch on the fact that English speakers struggle with Japanese particles just like Japanese speakers struggle with English particles. Most language teachers that I come across never mention stuff like this, and because of that, it can get confusing. It helps put things into perspective.

I never realized how confusing English prepositions were until someone learning english asked me why it’s “at home” and not “in home” and I honestly couldn’t think of an answer other than “I dunno, it just sounds weird if you say it any other way”

For the people that are still a bit confused about the particles とand や: と is the English equivalent to the word “and”. *But* it means that the words listed using that particle are the only things part of the conversation. So if you were to ask me what I like to do, I would say 「本を読むと昼寝するが好きです。」Which means that I like to read books and take naps, and *NOTHING* else. や on the other hand also means “and”. *However,* it implies that there are other things that could be listed, but you just choose not to. Think of it as the English equivalent of the word “include” but it functions like the word “and”. Using my same example, if you were to ask me what I like to do, I would respond with 「本を読むや昼寝するが好きです。」Which means that I like to read books and take naps, *among other things.* I might have gotten the grammar a bit wrong, and I am by no means an expert at Japanese, but I hope this helps you fellow language-learners! 😅

Yuko-sensei, I can help you with the “in, on, at” reasoning. “In” is used to denote large measures of time. Such as months, weeks, years, and beyond. All of these measurements are general. For location, we use it to denote countries, provinces, cities, and also generally places that you can enter into. You can even say “in the house”. “On” is used to describe specific days in terms of time. This could even be used to reference a specific event. Such as the Ides of March. When someone refers to what happened during those times, they say “On the Ides of March”. For location, this preposition is used for either places you can be on top of. On earth. We don’t enter into earth, and we don’t own earth, so we must be standing on top of it. Same thing with mountains. On the mountain. We cannot enter the mountain, or own it, so we are on it. And “at” is used to specifically denote a specific and small measurement of time such as hours. For location this is used to denote a possessive form of location. “At MY house, at Yuko-sensei’s house, at the local bakery.” All of these locations are possessive nouns in the sense that someone in specific owns them and thus we use “at”.

Learning a language takes years; you can't really expect from yourself to master particles after watching a video. So, don't get discouraged if you can't understand it right away.

As a Japanese, this is difficult. It does not matter if you make a mistake as long as you can communicate. Even Japanese people often get it wrong, and only a few people point it out anymore. On the Internet, there may be many people who point out mistakes because it is a text-only conversation, but in a real-life conversation, some people may not even notice the mistake.

日本人ですが、このような動画をあげてくださっている方がいることにとても感動しました。日本語を学ぼうとしてくれる外国の方々のコメントを見るとただのリスナーなのにとても心が温かくなりました。みなさん、応援しています！ (ちなみに私は英語の勉強中です😊) I support you all!

When you explained about how japsnese people struggle with english prepositions, i never actually considered how confusing it can be, its weird to think how we can just naturally use those words without even thinking of the meaning but in our brains it just works

As Serena/Usagi ( Sailor Moon) might say: “this is so complicated! Let’s go to the mall and eat ice cream instead!”

I think 'wa' and 'ga' are by far the most difficult for non-Japanese to master - 'ga' has a lot of different uses, which depend on both grammatical function and context, so when to use 'wa' vs 'ga' or vice versa can be very tricky, whereas 'de' and 'ni' have very limited specific grammatical usage rules are a piece of cake in comparison. Her explanation is really really amazing - what a great teacher! The visuals really make things clear!

"へ" is crying😭

Yuko Sensei always posts exactly what I need! Needed a good particle refresher and this was perfect. 本当にありがとう！

Let’s be grateful that all these informational lesson by Yuko Sensei are FREE😳ありがとうゆこ先生！

Honestly, I'm convinced English is significantly harder than Japaense for speakers of the other language.

日本人目線からこの動画見るの面白いですね！

Yuko Sensei: why can't I use "in home"? Englishspeakers: we don't know either! ask the Angles, Saxons, Romans, Vikings, Normans, French, ................

ありがとうございます。De and NI have had me pulling my hair out. Great video.

The issue with Prepositions for Japanese learners weirdly made this so much easier to digest

Thank you, sensei. いつも ありがとうございます。

That lesson was really useful! ありがとうございます！

こうやって学んでるんだ…凄い。

So, this lesson explained to me how intricate languages in general can be at their core. Beautifully explained, I think I finally know the difference between は and が !

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST VIDEO TO LEARN JAPANESE PARTICLES. I WATCHED IT 2 YEARS AGO AND BECAUSE OF IT, NOW I KNOW HOW TO USE ALL OF THE JAPANESE PARTICLES THANKS TO YUKO SENSEI.

I have never understood Japanese particles as well as I do now after watching this video. Excellent explanation Yuko-san!!

ありがとうございました、ゆこ先生！

i was expecting some new sort of japanese technology when i read "japanese particles"

Wonderful lesson, Arigatou gozaimasu Yuko sensei!

This is one of the best lessons I've seen on particles. Thank you!

This is easily one of the best videos I've watched in my effort to learn Japanese. Thank you.

Prepositions and particles can definitely be really difficult. Your explanation is really good and I wish I had seen a video like this when I was first starting to learn Japanese over 15 years ago now. I don't know if anyone answered your question/has been able to help explain why we can't say "at Sunday" or "in home", but I wanted to try to explain it here with some examples. The basics are that "at" is for pinpointing a specific spot, physical or not, while "in" is using a boundary or border to tell the listener where something is based on that boarder, but it doesn't give a specific location. "In" is vague about where the object is, and defines it's location based on what is around the object, not based on the specific spot the object is currently at. We can say, "at 3 o'clock", "at the store", "at the park", and "at home". "at" is like taking a pushpin and sticking it into a map. it points to a very specific spot. That spot can be big, but it is a specific place, known to the speaker, and possibly known specifically to the listener as well. In contrast, to "at", when using "in" as a place preposition, it's referring to somewhere, metaphorical or physical, that we can describe visually using boundaries. So a country has a physical shape we put on a map, with boarders, and when you are in a country, there are trees, buildings, and other things around you that also create physical boundaries. Here are some more examples of in; "in my life", "place in time", "in the woods", and "in the ocean". For "in my life" and "place in time" we can draw out a time line, a visual representation that clearly denotes the start and end, which tells us that the where in question lies between those two points, it is within them, not outside of them. "in the woods" and "in the ocean" you are surrounded by the trees, bushes, flowers, etc that make up "the woods", or by the water that makes up "the ocean". Being surrounded by something, and existing specifically in reference to being surrounded by it, requires the "in" preposition. While we can say "in the ocean", we can also reference specific locations in the ocean, such as "at the bottom of the sea". "at the bottom of the sea is not a named location, but a specific known to the speaker, and possibly the listener, named location, versus a location based on being relative to two or more things like "in". So why can't we say "in home"? Home is metaphorical, but, it doesn't have a specific shape we can define, because it is different and dependent on the individual speaking. A person could feel at home in a cafe, or at the zoo, or on a train. to be "at home" is a feeling of peace and comfort specific to the individual, and thus "home" is an extremely specific location, and it is not dependent on or relative to 2 or more known boundaries. We don't use outside points of reference to define "home". So, again "at" is referencing a very specific, unnamed point in space or time (24 hour time specifically). With "at" we are pinpointing something. While "in" is referencing a more general location that is relative to 2 or more boundaries, and possible to describe by visually representing said boundaries. In does not give a specific location like "at", but a general location between two or more points of reference. While we can't say "in home", because "home" isn't actually a place with boarders we can visually define, we can say "In my house", or "in my home country", because houses and countries both have borders to use as reference for defining the space something can be in. I hope this explanation makes sense and is helpful!

Perfect explanation at least for beginner as I am. I study English and recently have started learning Japanese. So, these courses literally give me double benefits. Thank you a lot! Subscribed.

This lesson was extremely helpful.Your explanation is easy to understand, I’m better able to use particles. Thanks!

This easily goes to my “Important Stuff” playlist.

I fully understand this lesson but i can't seem to process it lol

Here's everything I personally learned today I already knew most of the particles here, but I learned more about them and made my knowledge on Japanese a lot better Two particles I haven’t learned before that I learned now is やandか Some other words I learned today Yuumei ゆうめい famous Shinsetsu しんせつ kind Machi まち・町 town/city Kirei きれい clean Oteraおてら・お寺temple Arimasuありますto exist Shitteimasu しっています・知っていますto know Kenkyuu けんきゅう・研究 study/research

I really appreciate this video. I started using Rosetta Stone to learn Japanese but it doesn't explain what particles are let alone when and how to use them. It was a great source of frustration. Then I found this video and now it all makes much more sense. Thank you!

Thank you for teaching japanese language❤❤❤ greetings from Bolivia

Just what I need.... Thanks for making it easier to understand the Japanese grammar. 🙌🙌🙌💯💯💯

I was an english teacher in taiwan for twenty years Before I went to taiwan I was in japan Now i'm back in california but I just want to say thank you Your lessons very clear and easy to understand Thank you for the hard work❤

Thank you for this wonderful refresher before I start my Japanese 300 classes!

ありがとうございます

I'm not an english teacher nor do I have any qualification other than being a proficient native speaker, but I'll share my thought process regarding the preposition issue you were talking about to see if it helps at all, although the actual reason is most likely due to nuances in the language as it evolved over time. The word "on" is only used to specify a date, or an occasion such as an anniversary or holiday. Since these are all proper nouns, using the word "in" has the connotation that you would be physically within the bounds of something, as if you were to say "in paris" or "in a box". To avoid this connotation, we instead use the word "on", but as a synonym to the word "during", and so the connotation changes. In this case, I think it would be better to view months as the exception. Months are collections or groups of days, and since they are collections, they act like containers, therefore being able to "contain" days within their bounds; like I mentioned earlier with the paris/box example. Since months behave this way, they avoid the connotation that they are physical objects and a synonym for the word "during" is not required. As for "at home", the biggest thing you need to know is that "home" is not necessarily a synonym for house. "Home" is an abstract word that doesn't require a physical object to be tied to it, and is instead a nondescript location. If you were to refer to the house you live in, you would use the word "in" because, going back to the previous example, it can contain things. The word "home" on the other hand is the location you live at, and not the house you live inside. As an example, say that somebody were living under a bridge. That person would not have a house to go in, but the would have a home they could stay at, and most of the time if you were to ask someone like that what that place was to them, they would say it were their home. Despite this, the term for these people is still "homeless", which is very misleading as to the meaning of the word. I may not have done the best job explaining, but I hope that I was able to share my insight and experience as a native english speaker.

the more Japanese grammar I learn the more I appreciate the weirdness of English grammar. It is kind of fun

日本語が好きです。日本で日本語を勉強した。

Thank you! Your explanations are much easier to follow than most sources I've looked at.

I think an easier way to think of the location based particles could be like this で marks what's used に marks the placement (in time/space) へ marks the aim (whether that's actually where they went)

the best particle explanation I heard thank you

2:02 Being an english speaker myself i also have no idea why i cannot say "at sunday", or "in home" to be honest

ありがとうございます先生 💖💖💖😊💖💖💖

I love this video so much! So much good information in 17 minutes and I understood all of it. Yuko Sensei ありがとうございました！

I loved the comparison to English prepositions. So true! ❤️

14:33 “you will never eat kyoto or drink kyoto” Is that a challenge?

This is probably the best thing I’ve come across that explains the difference in nuance of location for で& に. Awesome.

ゆく先生ありがとうございます。

こんにちは，初見です このビデオは面白いです とても簡単の追います 僕の日本語は独学です 二十ヶ月ぐらいは日本語の勉強していましたが助詞がまだ難しいです

This was the best explanatory video on Japanese grammar I have seen. Thank you so so much for creating this! 🙏

i know that this video is already two years old but, i still really appreciate it!! so easy to understand! i feel like ive learned so much in the span of just one night!

Thank you, even I've got N2, I still sometimes forget about these, Really easy to understand, Good work!

Thank you for explaining the particles!! I’ve got my Japanese finals tomorrow and I feel ready after watching this vid ^v^ !

在日日本人ですが助詞がよく分かってなかったので助かりました！ありがとうございます！

my general advice for the koohai when i'd be hanging out in the study room was: "when in doubt, leave them out." this is why i could never be a tutor.

先生のレッスンは本当に素晴らしいですね😍 先生のレッスンが大好きです。 どうもありがとうございます、先生！😇😊😊😊🤗

"I still don't know why I can't say 'at Sunday' or 'in home'" Yeah me neither and I've been speaking it for over 20 years

Watching this video is so helpful. I had such a hard time trying to find good resources like this video to help me understand more with learning from text books and stuff

I just started taking the Japanese language in college. I am a native Chinese speaker, and when I was learning English, I felt the prepositions were confusing but not to the extent of that Japanese. Particles are definitely the most confusing part. But thank you for your extensive explanation for the Japanese particles that were covered in this lesson.

Yuko Sensei, I also very much like the style of graphic representation you use in your lessons, in particular the colour coding and the linking of words with particles by connected boxes. These visual representations of the content help me retain and recall grammatical rules.

iam from new york and visit my Obacha and friends every year, and this helps me alot , YUKO and MISA are grate SenSeis!! Arigatou, for posting this lessons, Long LIVE JAPAN !

Thank you so much sensei for explaining patiently and clearly.This lesson is so helpful to me.

英語を勉強している日本人です🙇🏻‍♀️ 最初のお話が、英語の助詞を学ぶ上でも役に立ちました。ありがとうございます🫶🏻 I'm a Japanese studying English. Beginning part was useful to understand English particles. Thank you so much🫶🏻

I was trying to learn japanese with japanese subs with anime and I was wondering what all these were doing in the middle of sentences... thank you for this video!

"my brain has stored enough data about these prepositions" -brain

ゆこせんせい、レッスンをありがとうございます。

Instead of romaji, you should give the meanings of each word. That would be very helpful and will also encourage us to read in Japanese instead of Romaji.

This video offers a great and concise explanation to start getting used to particles for beginners like me. ありがとうございました!

The way you explained ya is a little confusing to americans, when you say "for example" that can mean a lot of different things based on context so we don't know what you mean. People think of for example as 例えば when you say it like that.There is an american concept of etcetera or etc which is very close to ya. etcetera implies a many other examples that you did not mention similar to ya.

Extremely helpful for a beginner, like myself. I usually just glossed over these, I never knew they were so important

How about "へ" ? I always learned, どこへ行きますか" help!!!😢

Thank you so much 😊 I learned and understand how to use those particles ☺️🇯🇵🇵🇭

By far this is the best sensei ever

Hi, Yoko. One question. When I express Subject like I or You, using ～は. Is it particle to make Subject or the other? How is the concept of Subject in Japanese?

This explanation was so very usefully for me.

It makes sense that we have two にs Just like how we have 2 legs and , 2 knees.

AT is usually used for places. At school/AT work/AT home. IN is used for months and years because they are bigger, days are smaller so we use ON for days. At least that's how I teach my students. :) For locations, it's not about whether you're inside or outside of your house or the movie theater, it's more about the general location. So we use AT.

In minute 12:47, Can I replace は for の? So, the sentence will be 日本の町はきれいです？is that a right sentence? Hope you can help me and thanks for the video

ゆこ先生、ありがとうございました。

の: Am I a joke to you?!

This was the first lesson about particles anywhere that helped me understand the difference between 'wa' and 'ga'. Everywhere else so far, I've only seen example sentences that only used either 'wa' or 'ga' and where the topic _was_ the subject. 🧐

One of the best channels for explaining Japanese :) arigato :)

I am thankful for the effort you put into this video! Great work!

That balance of the English language with her ancient and voice is ....... . . . . . . . . too かわいい why couldn't i have her as a teacher in school... I may of actually focused

Right when I think I've got one down my lessons throw another one out there, and I get so confused why this sentence used this particle, but this other sentence used another. This helped a lot!

2:01 There is no reason. That is just how it is.

Thank you for this video, this helps me a lot to distinguish when I have to use で or に 🙂🙂

Wow this is an incredible lesson. I really appreciate this! You must be a teacher because you made it very easy to understand!

Yuko sensei thank you so much for this I was struggling with other videos until I saw yours. I have fully understood these basic particles after watching!!!!! ありがとつ!

ありがとうございます、行こ-先生😓🙏🏾