“wa vs ga”: The Difference Between Topic and Subject [JLPT N5]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
「私は学生です」vs「私が学生です」 — one particle's difference, worlds apart in tone.
“wa vs ga”: The Difference Between Topic and Subject
「は」 and 「が」 are the most basic and important distinction in Japanese: は = marks the topic (known information), focus on the following predicate (私は学生です = as for me, I'm a student); が = marks the subject/focus (new information), focus on what precedes (私が学生です = ‘I' am the student). ⚠️ Key rules: a question word as subject must use が (誰が来た?, ✗ 誰は); the answer also uses が (私が). But asking content (predicate) uses は (これは何ですか)! ⚠️ Describing a scene before one's eyes, a first appearance, uses が (おじいさんがいました); the object of certain predicates (liking/ability) uses が (日本語がわかる). ⚠️ は often implies contrast (コーヒーは好き、お茶は…).
🧠 Core nuance: は marks the topic (focus after), が marks the protagonist (focus before)
The core is は presents the topic (known), focus on the following predicate; が marks the subject/focus (new information), focus on the preceding subject: 「は」 — makes something the ‘topic' (as for …), usually mutually known old info, the sentence's point on ‘what follows は,' the predicate (私は学生です = as for me, ‘I'm a student,' answering ‘what are you'; 象は鼻が長い = as for elephants, ‘the nose is long'); は also often implies contrast (コーヒーは好き、お茶は… = I like coffee, tea though…). 「が」 — marks the action's ‘protagonist/subject,' usually new info (what the listener doesn't know), the sentence's point on ‘what precedes が,' the subject (私が学生です = ‘I' am the student, answering ‘who is the student'; 誰が来た? = who came?, asking new info). ⚠️ Core contrast: は's focus is after (the predicate: 私は学生→the point ‘is a student'); が's focus is before (the subject: 私が学生→the point ‘I')! ⚠️ Important rules: ① a question word as subject must use が (誰が来た?, 何があった?, ✗ 誰は); the answer also uses が (私が); ② but asking content (a question word as predicate) uses は (これは何ですか); ③ a first appearance/scene before one's eyes uses が (昔々、おじいさんがいました, あ、雨が降ってきた); ④ the object of certain predicates (liking/ability/desire/sensation) uses が (日本語がわかる, 水がほしい). The most basic and important N5 particle distinction.
📌 は vs が Rules
| What it follows | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| topic (known) | は | 私は学生です |
| subject/focus (new info) | が | 私が学生です |
| question word as subject | が | 誰が来た? |
| first appearance/scene before one's eyes | が | おじいさんがいました |
| object of certain predicates | が | 日本語がわかる |
💬 Example Sentences
- この人は田中さんです。(This person is Tanaka. ← topic) — は (topic)
- 誰が来ましたか。(Who came? ← asking new info) — が (question-word subject)
- テーブルの上にリンゴがあります。(There's an apple on the table. ← first appearance) — が (scene before one's eyes)
- 私は日本語が好きです。(I like Japanese. ← 私は topic, 日本語が object) — は (topic) ＋ が (object)
- 魚は食べるが、肉は食べない。(I eat fish, but not meat. ← contrast) — は (contrast)
🔄 Compare: は (topic) vs が (subject/focus)
| Item | は | が |
|---|---|---|
| marks | topic (known) | subject/focus (new info) |
| focus position | after (predicate) | before (subject) |
| question word as subject | ✗ | must use が (誰が) |
| answering a question | — | 私が |
| implies | often contrast | exclusive, specific |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- A question word as subject must use が: 誰が来た? (✗ 誰は来た?); the answer uses が (私が, ✗ 私は).
- は focus after, が focus before: 私は学生 (I ‘am a student'); 私が学生 (‘I' am the student), reversed focus.
- A first appearance/scene before one's eyes uses が: おじいさんがいました, 雨が降ってきた (new info uses が).
- The object of certain predicates uses が: 日本語がわかる, 水がほしい (the object of liking/ability/desire uses が).
💡 Nuance & When to Use
「は」 marks the topic (known, focus after: 私は学生です = I'm a student); 「が」 marks the subject/focus (new info, focus before: 私が学生です = ‘I' am the student). ⚠️ Rules: a question word as subject must use が, the answer uses が; asking content uses は; a first appearance/scene before one's eyes uses が; the object of certain predicates uses が. は often implies contrast. The most basic and important N5 particle distinction — memorize it.
🎯 は vs が N5 Study Points
- N5 core: は = topic (known, focus after), が = subject/focus (new info, focus before); the most basic and important distinction.
- Memory tip: a question word (誰/何) as subject uses が, the answer uses が; asking content uses は; a first appearance/scene before one's eyes uses が; the object of certain predicates (liking/ability) uses が.
- Distinction: 私は学生 (I ‘am a student,' answering ‘what are you') vs 私が学生 (‘I' am the student, answering ‘who is the student'); は often implies contrast.
📌 Particle Attachment Reference
| What it attaches to | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Topic (known) | は | 私は / 東京は / これは |
| Question word | が | 誰が / 何が |
| Subject of an existence sentence | が | 猫がいる / 本がある |
| Object of ability / liking | が | 日本語ができる / 猫が好き |
| Contrast | は | Aはするが、Bはしない |
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 「___は田中さんです。」(the topic is ‘this person') Choose the correct answer.
(A) 誰が来た (B) この人 (C) 田中さんが (D) 私が
Q2. 「___来ましたか。」(to ask ‘who came?') Choose the correct answer.
(A) 誰は (B) 誰が (C) 誰も (D) 誰の
Q3. 「テーブルの上にリンゴ___あります。」Which particle fits?
(A) は (B) の (C) が (D) も
Q4. 「私___日本語が好きです。」Which use of は is this?
(A) focus emphasis (B) topic marking (C) contrast (D) existence
Q5. 「魚___食べるが、肉___食べない。」Fill the two blanks in order.
(A) は・は (B) が・が (C) は・が (D) が・は
Answer Key
1. (B) この人 ── この人は田中さんです uses は to mark ‘this person' as the topic, then states he's Tanaka.
2. (B) 誰が ── a question word as subject (誰) must use が.
3. (C) が ── existence-sentence subject uses が: リンゴがあります.
4. (B) topic marking ── 私は… presents ‘I' as the topic.
5. (A) は・は ── two は forming a contrast: 魚は食べるが、肉は食べない.