Japanese Particles は vs が: The Complete Guide — 8 Rules with Plenty of Examples (N5 to N3) [JLPT N5]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated August 25, 2026
8 rules to finally master the difference between は (topic) and が (subject)
Why は and が Are So Confusing
「は」 and 「が」 are the single biggest headache for learners of Japanese. Even people who've studied for years aren't always sure when to use which. The key: 「は」 marks the topic (what you're talking about, often known information), while 「が」 marks the subject/focus (often new information, or the answer to ‘who/what').
The Most Core Concept: Topic vs Focus
| Particle | Function | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| は | marks the topic (what the speaker is talking about) | known info; the focus is on what comes after は |
| が | marks the subject/focus | new info; the focus is on what comes before が |
Rule 1: The answer to ‘who/what' uses が
When a question starts with a question word (誰/何), the answer uses が:
- 誰が来ましたか？ → 田中さんが来ました。(It was Tanaka who came.)
- 何がありますか？ → 本があります。
Rule 2: は = known info, が = new info
In conversation, the first mention uses が; a later (known) mention uses は:
Rule 3: が = existence/perception sentences
Existence (あります/います) and perception verbs require が:
| Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Existence (あります/います) | 机の上に本があります。/ 公園に犬がいます。 （There's a book on the desk. / There's a dog in the park.） |
| Perception (見える/聞こえる) | 富士山が見える。/ 音が聞こえる。 （I can see Mt. Fuji. / I can hear a sound.） |
| Ability/emotion (できる/わかる/好き/上手) | 日本語がわかる。/ 水泳ができる。/ 猫が好き。 （I understand Japanese. / I can swim. / I like cats.） |
Rule 4: は = topic (shift / contrast)
は is often used to shift the topic or contrast two things:
Rule 5: が in the subordinate clause, は in the main clause
In modifying (relative) clauses, the inner subject takes が and the main topic takes は:
- バナナが好きな人は手を上げてください。(Those who like bananas, raise your hand.) — が inside the clause, は for the main topic.
Rule 6: contrast in negative sentences uses は
In negatives, は often carries an ‘at least this one isn't/doesn't' contrast:
- 私は魚は食べない（が、肉は食べる）。(I don't eat fish — but I do eat meat.)
Rule 7: the difference in questions
| Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜はどこですか？ | asks the location of a known thing | トイレはどこですか？ （Where is the toilet?） |
| 〜がどこですか？ | (unnatural) — use 何/どれ as the が-subject | どれがあなたのですか？ （Which one is yours?） |
Rule 8: fixed collocations (always が)
Some expressions are fixed with が and can't switch to は:
| Expression | Example |
|---|---|
| 〜がある / いる | お金がある / 子供がいる （have money / have children） |
| 〜が好き / 嫌い / 上手 / 下手 | 日本語が上手 |
| 〜がわかる / できる | 意味がわかる / 運転ができる （understand the meaning / can drive） |
Summary: 3 Sentences to Remember は vs が
- は = Topic: sets the discussion topic, can imply contrast; focus lands after は.
- が = Subject/Focus: marks new info or the answer to ‘who/what'; focus lands before が.
- Question words & existence/ability always take が; a known topic takes は.
📌 Connection Rules
| Attaches to | Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| topic (known) | は | 私は / 東京は / これは |
| question word | が | 誰が / 何が |
| existence-sentence subject | が | 猫がいる / 本がある （there's a cat / there's a book） |
| ability/preference object | が | 日本語が好き / 水泳ができる （like Japanese / can swim） |
⚠️ 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).
② The object of 好き・わかる・ほしい・できる takes が. 日本語がわかる, 水がほしい (✗ を／は).
③ Opposite focus. 私は行く (stress: go or not) vs 私が行く (stress: who). English drops particles, so emphasis lands wrong.
📊 From our answer data: how often が is answered correctly
From our own answer data — in quiz-context first attempts on this site, Particles – が was answered correctly 60.9% of the time (n=358 answers from 81 learner identifiers; 95% CI 55.8%–65.8%; snapshot 2026-08-14). > > This is a descriptive statistic about answers in one question bank, not a measure of how hard the particle is in general, and it does not describe Japanese learners as a whole. Set definitions, sample composition and limitations: our learning-data report.
💡 Learning tip
は/が is Japanese's final boss — don't try to clear all 8 rules at once. Lock in two reflexes first: a question word as subject takes が, and the object of 好き/わかる/ほしい takes が; then hold one principle: focus later → は, focus earlier → が. Those three cover most cases. The subtle “new vs old info, contrast” feel grows only from lots of listening and reading — the only path, no shortcut. Use the 8 rules here as a reference manual, not something to rote-memorize.
❓ Quick FAQ
Q: 8 rules is a lot — which first?
The two most useful and most-tested: ① a question word as subject takes が (誰が来た) ② the object of 好き・わかる・ほしい takes が. Lock those two and tests and daily use are already solid. Look up the rest as needed.
Q: A one-line rule for は vs が?
Yes: focus later (predicate) → は, focus earlier (subject) → が. 「私は行く」 asks “go or not”; 「私が行く」 asks “who.” Split with that blade first, fill in the rest gradually.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. What should the answer to 「誰が電話しましたか？」 be?
(A) 田中さんは電話しました。 (B) 田中さんが電話しました。 (C) 田中さんで電話しました。 (D) 田中さんに電話しました。
Q2. 「日本語___上手ですね。」(his Japanese is good) Fill the blank.
(A) は (B) が (C) を (D) で
Q3. 「昨日、猫___公園にいました。その猫___とても可愛かった。」Fill the blanks.
(A) が・は (B) は・が (C) が・が (D) は・は
Q4. 「東京には行ったが、大阪___行っていない。」(contrast) Fill the blank.
(A) が (B) は (C) を (D) に
Q5. 「バナナ___好きな人___手を上げてください。」Fill the blanks.
(A) が・は (B) は・が (C) を・は (D) が・が
Answer Key
1. (B) 田中さんが電話しました ── the answer to 「誰が」 is fixed with が (stressing ‘who' did it).
2. (B) が ── ability/trait predicates (上手/下手/好き/嫌い) take が: 日本語が上手.
3. (A) が・は ── first appearance uses が (猫が…), then the known cat becomes the topic with は (その猫は…).
4. (B) は ── contrast uses は: 大阪は行っていない.
5. (A) が・は ── バナナが好き (object of preference uses が), 人は (topic): バナナが好きな人は手を上げて.