Home › Forums › The Japanese Language › Particle wa (ha)
This topic contains 11 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by Karun 11 years, 9 months ago.
-
AuthorPosts
-
February 13, 2013 at 1:20 am #38546
Hiya!
I’m at season 2 of TextFugu.
Before starting here I’ve been studying a bit of Japanese on my own.
I learned that the particle wa (ha) is a subject marker.
And desu means is/are/am etc.But, here Koichi explains it’s the other way around.
particle wa/ha = is/am/are
Desu = present tense
http://www.textfugu.com/season-2/identity/7-4/#topIs this just the way he explains it?
Which way is ‘better’?Cheers!
February 13, 2013 at 1:29 am #38547The way Koichi teaches it makes it easier to build on later. です is used for more than just “is” in Japanese, so first you have to remove your preconceptions about it. I know it’s hard, but just take a deep breath and trust in Koichi. Try not to get all nitpicky about what’s an article and what’s a machine gun, because you’re wasting effort on that when you could be forging ahead and learning all the other ways to use です。 ^_~
February 13, 2013 at 1:32 am #38548Particle は is the topic marker. The topic is not the same as the subject – the topic is what the sentence is about, while the subject is the doer of the verb.
As for directly equating either は or です with “is”, neither is really correct. As Terry Pratchett would put it, it’s a lie that helps you understand. Personally, I’d say です is closer though, because as a coupla, it kinda functions as the verb in the sentence when no other verb is needed, rather like “is”.
The “better” way to explain it is the way that makes the most sense to you. In the end, it’s an aid to help you learn.
February 13, 2013 at 1:47 am #38550Joel:
Mhm, but if I were to use desu as the verb like I used to do it”ll just confuse me later on since Koichi will be explaining it the other way around, right?
Hah.. I thought ha/wa was subject marker.
and wo/o was direct object marker.
So.. wo is subject marker and ha is topic marker?February 13, 2013 at 1:54 am #38551が = subject marker
を = direct object marker
Subject =/= object
P.S. invest in an IME. Means you don’t have to rely on romaji. =P
Like I said, though, learn it whichever way makes the most sense to you. In the end, it’s all about you, not Koichi.
February 13, 2013 at 2:00 am #38552Haha, I have an IME at home. But, I’m at my internship right now.
When nothing to do, learn all the japanese!Ah.. I just learned ga is a emphasize on the word that’s said before it.
Kanojo wa daisuki
Kanojo ga daisuki
I LOVE her
I love HER!
Well, not in caps but just, emphasize ”kanojo”
Wa emphasize/attentions towards the word that’s after wa
Ga emphasize/attention towards the word that’s before ga._. Or is this all wrong?
- This reply was modified 11 years, 9 months ago by Karun.
February 13, 2013 at 2:03 am #38553February 13, 2013 at 2:13 am #38558Ok, forum software is being even more of a pain on the iPad lately, so I can’t paste links (for some reason). However, we have had a thread on this topic recently that might help – it’s on the second page at the moment, called something like “Confusion over は/が”.
February 13, 2013 at 2:14 am #38559Ah okay. I saw the cheat sheet just now. With particles, done by Koichi.
And he said it was just emphasizing. I guess there is more to it of course. I’ll check it out. Thanks!February 13, 2013 at 2:17 am #38560February 13, 2013 at 2:19 am #38561Ah, yes, that’s the one. =)
February 13, 2013 at 2:29 am #38562The link in the link was quite helpful.
Knowing the difference between wa and ga is quite helpful.
Clears up a lot of stuff as well.Thanks you all!
-
AuthorPosts
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.