Wa and Ga explanation webpage?

[Buntaro]

Hi everybody!

I have been asked to explain wa and ga to a beginning student of Japanese. I can speak Japanese, and I can do it, but man that is a lot of work. Does anyone have a link to a webpage that has a good explanation?

 

[iwuvvleskaylee]

Well, there's on here on the main site (the tutorials), but putting them into summary. は means "as for..." and が actually makes it the subject. は can also be object, so don't forget to tell them that too. It shouldn't be difficult as long as they realized that japanese say only what's needed to be said.

 

[undrentide]

The major particles - Tae Kim's Japanese grammar guide
Practical Particular Particles from Tae Kim's Japanese guide to Japanese Grammar

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanes...81.8C_.28ga.29
Wikipedia (Japanese Grammar)
Particles: Topic, themes and subject: は (wa) and が (ga)

 

[Buntaro]

Thanx undrentide and 緑さん. I'll check those out.

 

[Jitenchakun]

Practical Particular Particles from Tae Kim's Japanese guide to Japanese Grammar

I went through this lesson & seem to have found an error. Can anyone verify?

Example 3
This is also another possibility.
ボブ： アリスは学生？- Are you (Alice) student?
アリス： ううん、トムも学生じゃない。- No, and Tom is also not student.
So why would Alice, all of a sudden, talk about Tom when Bob is asking about Alice? Maybe Tom is standing right next to her and she wants to include Tom in the conversation.

This directly contradicts a previous paragraph:

Example 1
ボブ： アリスは学生？- Are you (Alice) student?
アリス： うん、トムも学生。- Yes, and Tom is also student.
Notice, that Alice must be consistent with the inclusion. It would not make sense to say, "I am a student, and Tom is also not a student." Instead, Alice would use the 「は」 particle to remove the additional meaning of inclusion as seen in the next example.

Shall I notify the site owner?

 

[iwuvvleskaylee]

the はい and いいえ and omitted and implied... However... I've never seen that happening... and wouldn't うん be a little awkward? Native confirmation please!

 

[Buntaro]

@Jitenchakun ,

I do not see the contradiction in the two paragraphs. Can you explain it to me? Are you saying that, in the first paragraph, the は is showing an inclusion, while in the second paragraph the は is showing the opposite of an inclusion?

 

[epigene]

@Jitenchakun ,

I do not see the contradiction in the two paragraphs. Can you explain it to me? Are you saying that, in the first paragraph, the は is showing an inclusion, while in the second paragraph the は is showing the opposite of an inclusion?

You're right, Buntaro-san.

There is no contradiction. Tae Kim explains the difference clearly (in my personal opinion).

 

[Jitenchakun]

Oops, maybe I misread it. Does ううん mean, 'No'? I was reading it as うん.

Thanks for the help, guys!

 

[iwuvvleskaylee]

ううん is, as far as i know, uuum. XD Though i usually here that as just "ん~~"

 

[Kyle]

ううん is, as far as i know, uuum. XD Though i usually here that as just "ん~~"

What about "あの～～～？"
That is what I have heard the most.

 

[epigene]

ううん is, as far as i know, uuum. XD Though i usually here that as just "ん~~"

What you're thinking is 「ん~~」, and that's like "uuummm."

ううん is pronounced as it is written and means "no."

What about "あの～～～？"
That is what I have heard the most.

あの～～～ is used most often to attract someone's attention (commonly to ask a question).
It can also be used as filler when you're trying to think what to say next.

 

[Kyle]

あの～～～ is used most often to attract someone's attention (commonly to ask a question).
It can also be used as filler when you're trying to think what to say next.

Can you give me a scenario where the 「ん～～～」is used?

 

[Ashikaga]

Can you give me a scenario where the 「ん～～～」is used?

「JREFのメンバーの中（なか）で、一番（いちばん）セクシーなのは誰（だれ）だと思（おも）いますか？」

「ん～～～～それは難（むずか）しい質問（しつもん） ですね。もし一人（ひとり）だけ選（えら）ぶとしたら 、ASHIKAGAですね。」

 

[Buntaro]

「JREFのメンバーの中（なか）で、一番（いちばん）セクシーなのは誰（だれ）だと思（おも）いますか？」

「ん～～～～それは難（むずか）しい質問（しつもん） ですね。もし一人（ひとり）だけ選（えら）ぶとしたら 、ASHIKAGAですね。」

 

[Kyle]

「JREFのメンバーの中（なか）で、一番（いちばん）セクシーなのは誰（だれ）だと思（おも）いますか？」

「ん～～～～それは難（むずか）しい質問（しつもん） ですね。もし一人（ひとり）だけ選（えら）ぶとしたら 、ASHIKAGAですね。」

LOL! Oh and thank you for putting the furigana in parenthesis next to the kanji, I could understand it so much better! I know it's a hassle for you guys, and I am working on the kanji situation!

 

[Kyle]

Sorry for the double post, but how often is ん～～～ used?

When I was in class and we had Japanese exchange students, I don't recall hearing them say it. They would either say あの～～～ or えと～～～。

Just curious.

 

[Ashikaga]

Sorry for the double post, but how often is ん～～～ used?

When I was in class and we had Japanese exchange students, I don't recall hearing them say it. They would either say あの～～～ or えと～～～。

Just curious.

Quite often, I think. I might say あの～ or ええと～/えと～/えっと～ when I am trying to recall/remember something while I am more likely to say ん～～ when I am trying to come up with an answer to some quistion to which there is no one correct answer as the one I gave as an example in my last post.

4 + 4 はなんですか？
What is 4 + 4?

えっと～......８です。
Lemme see.....８！

(雑誌（ざっし）にでているレベッカ・ロメインの写真 （ しゃしん）を指差（ゆびさ）して) これは誰（だれ）ですか？
(Pointing at a picture of Rebecca Romijn in a magazine) Who is this?

あの～～ほら、あの人（ひと）！X-メン の映画（えいが）に出（で）てる人（ひと）！
errrrrr/ummmm/oh oh oh oh*....you know....HER! The one in the X-Men movies! *depends on how you say it.

あの～could also be used when you are trying to get someone's attention.

あの～、水（みず）をもう一杯（いっぱい）もらえますか？
Excuse me! Can I have another glass of water?

あの～、カイル先生（せんせい）？ 夏期講習（かきこうしゅう）を受（う）けなければいけませんか？
Excuse me, Mr.Kyle? Do I have to attend the summer school?

 

[iwuvvleskaylee]

Kyle... Yomigana 漢字や用語の読み仮名（ふりがな）が判るステキなサービス XD Problem solved... Not to mention that just about any japanese <=> english dictionary also uses ひらがな

 

[Elizabeth]

ううん is, as far as i know, uuum. XD Though i usually here that as just "ん~~"

ううん is straightout "no." うーん is written as the interjection you're thinking of, the one that gives us time to think on our feet. "hmmm....let me see...well..." :?