は vs が — Topic vs Subject Explained [JLPT N5]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
“I am a student” (は) vs “I'm the one who…” (が) — one particle, a world of difference, with examples. (JLPT N5)
は focus later, が focus earlier — the hardest particles in one line
「私は行く」 vs 「私が行く」 — one syllable apart, opposite emphasis: the first stresses “行く (go or not),” the second “私 (who goes).” That's the core of は/が: **は puts the focus after it (the predicate), が puts it before (the subject).** は raises a known topic; が marks the new-information star. This guide splits the hardest particle pair with a single blade: “where's the focus?”
Core: focus later (は) vs focus earlier (が)
- **は = topic (known), focus on the following predicate: 私は**学生です (stress: “student”). Answers “what are you?”
- **が = star (new info), focus on the preceding subject: 私が**学生です (stress: “I”). Answers “who is the student?”
Test: a question asking “what/how” → answer with は; “who/which” → answer with が.
は vs が rules
| Situation | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| raising a known topic | は | 私は田中です （I am Tanaka） |
| question word as subject / answer | が | 誰が来た？→私が |
| existence / perception / object of ability | が | 水がほしい |
| contrast | は | 肉は食べるが… |
See it in context
- この人は田中さんです。(This person is Tanaka.) — topic (introducing)
- 「誰が来ましたか？」「田中さんが来ました。」(“Who came?” “Tanaka did.”) — question word ＋ が
- テーブルの上にリンゴがあります。(There's an apple on the table.) — existence (new info)
- 私は日本語が好きです。(I like Japanese.) — は topic ＋ が object
- 魚は食べるが、肉は食べない。(I eat fish but not meat.) — contrast
⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid
① A question word as subject always takes が. 誰が来た？ (✗ 誰は); answer with が too (私が). The “who” is new information.
② The object of like/ability/want takes が. 水がほしい, 日本語がわかる, 猫が好き (✗ を).
③ は and が put focus on opposite sides. 私は行く (stress: go or not) vs 私が行く (stress: it's me). English/Chinese often drop the particle, so the emphasis lands wrong.
🔄 Nuance & comparison: は (topic) vs が (star)
| Feature | は | が |
|---|---|---|
| marks | topic (known) | star (new info) |
| focus | later (predicate) | earlier (subject) |
| answering a question word | ✗ | 私が (it's me) |
| large-scope topic | 象は鼻が長い | ─ |
💡 An exam judgment tip
は/が is Japanese's hardest pair — don't expect instant mastery. Lock in the “where's the focus” blade first: focus later (predicate) = は, focus earlier (subject) = が. Add two reflexes: a question word as subject always takes が, and the object of 好き・わかる・ほしい takes が. These cover most tests and daily use; the subtle “new vs old info” feel grows with exposure. For the full 8-rule, 100-example version, see the dedicated guide.
❓ Questions you might have
Q: は vs が in one line?
は focus later, が focus earlier. 「私は学生です」 stresses “student” (what are you); 「私が学生です」 stresses “I” (who's the student). Answer a “what” with は, a “who” with が.
Q: Why does 「象は鼻が長い」 have both は and が?
「象」 is the whole sentence's big topic (は), 「鼻」 is the small subject of 「長い」 (が). In one sentence: big topic は, small subject が — the classic example for understanding は/が.
🖊️ 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.