Point out the subject of a sentence

The particle が marks the subject — who or what does or is something.

JLPTN5

noun + が (subject) vs noun + は (topic)~ ga

[subject] does/is something

Example Sentences

うさぎrabbit がいるthere is

There's a rabbit

Word Details →

ともだち友達friend がくる来るcome よ

A friend is coming!

Word Details →

Use が to point out the subject, the doer or the thing being described, especially when it is new information or the answer to a question. The topic marker は (pronounced wa) instead sets up what the sentence is about, often something already known. As a rough guide, が highlights and は frames.

Tips and Common Traps

Hana· Key point

When someone asks 'who?' or 'what?', the answer uses が: だれが来ましたかだれがきましたか (who came?) → 田中さんが来ましたたなかさんがきました (Tanaka came).

Maru· Common trap

が and は can both appear in the same sentence and mean different things — 私は猫が好きですわたしはねこがすきです (I like cats): は sets 'I' as the topic; が marks 'cats' as what gets liked.

Build the Sentence

JLPT N5

1 / 5

Who came?

Arrange the words in the correct Japanese order:

きましたか来ましたか

came?

が

subject

だれ誰

who

Topic は ...だれ＝ who?は・が・を・の・も〜は / 〜が