Is が always stronger than は?

Yes, が is more specific and emphasizes who/what is being referred to. Use it when you're identifying something or someone.

Can I use both は and が in the same sentence?

Yes! Example: わたしは音楽おんがくが好きです。 = As for me, I like music.

What’s a good rule of thumb for beginners?

Use は for setting up a topic. Use が to answer "who?" or "what?" or to emphasise something specific. Also, use が when you are describing something neutrally for the first time. (e.g., あ、猫ねこがいる！ - Oh, there's a cat!)

Can the topic marked by は (wa) be something other than the grammatical subject?

Yes! While the topic (marked by は) is often the subject (like in 私わたしは学生がくせいです - I am a student), は broadly indicates what you want to talk about. It can mark time (今日きょうは - Today…), location (ここでは - Here…), or other elements as the general theme of the sentence. Think of it as meaning "Regarding X…" or "Speaking of X…".

ou said が marks new information. Does it always mean strong emphasis?

Not always strong emphasis. While が can be used for emphasis (Rule #1), it's also the default particle to mark the subject when simply introducing something new or making a neutral observation. For example: 「あ、雨あめが降ふってきた。」 (A, ame ga futte kita - Oh, it started raining). Here, が neutrally marks "rain" as the subject doing the action, which is new information in the scene.

Japanese Particles: How to Distinguish Between wa (は) and ga (が)

Q: Can I use both は and が in the same sentence?

Yes! Example: わたし は 音楽おんがく が 好きです。 = As for me, I like music.

contents

Introduction
1. Basic Roles of は and が
2. Rule #1: Place of emphasis
3. Rule #2: New vs. Old Information
- When we use “は”
- When we use “が”
4. Rule #3: Use が in Wh-Questions
- Example
5. Let’s Compare: Same Sentence, Different Feel
6. Practice Time!
7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
- Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?

Introduction

If you’ve started learning Japanese, you’ve likely run into the two most common particles: は (wa) and が (ga). Both can mark the subject of a sentence… but they are not interchangeable!

Understanding the difference between は and が is essential for speaking and understanding Japanese naturally. In this guide, you’ll learn how to choose between these two particles based on:

Focus and emphasis
New vs. known information
Wh-questions and answers

Let’s break it down!

1. Basic Roles of は and が

Particle	Function	Use Case
は	Topic marker	Known information / general context
が	Subject marker	New or emphasized information / unknown subject

2. Rule #1: Place of emphasis

We choose between X は Y and X が Y based on whether which information (X or Y) is more important.
In the sentence below, your emphasis is on the information that you are a doctor (= Y is important).

A: 弁護士べんごしですか？= Are you a lawyer?
B: いいえ、私わたしは医者いしゃです。 = No, I’m a doctor (and not a lawyer or teacher).

However, in the sentence below, you are emphasizing that you, not anybody else, are a doctor (= X is important).
In English you would have read “I” strongly. In this context, it may be known that someone in the room is a doctor but it’s not clear who is. Then, you might emphasize that “I am a doctor”.

A: お父さんは医者いしゃですか？ = Is your father a doctor?
B: いいえ、わたしが医者いしゃです。 = No, I am a doctor (not my father or anyone else).

3. Rule #2: New vs. Old Information

Use は for old or already-known topics.
Use が when introducing new information.

When we use “は”

は is used for old information. In the sentence below, “this book” has likely been introduced to the topic earlier and you continue to talk about it.

きのう、本ほんを買かいました。この本はおもしろいです。
I bought a book yesterday. This book is interesting.

When we use “が”

On the other hand, が is often used for a new piece of information. In the sentence below, “this book” has not been mentioned in the context and introduced as new information.

店員てんいん: この本ほんがおもしろいですよ。ぜひ読よんでください。
Clerk: This book is interesting. Please read it.

4. Rule #3: Use が in Wh-Questions

When asking who, what, which, always use が to mark the unknown subject.

Example

だれが医者いしゃですか？ – さとうさんが医者です。
Who is the doctor? – Mr. Sato is the doctor.
どの本ほんがおもしろいですか？ – この本がおもしろいですよ。
Which book is interesting? – This one is interesting.

5. Let’s Compare: Same Sentence, Different Feel

Sentence	Meaning
わたしは医者いしゃです。	I’m a doctor (talking about myself / my job).
わたしが医者です。	I’m the one who is a doctor (not someone else).
この本ほんはおもしろい。	This book is interesting (among many).
この本がおもしろい。	This is the book that’s interesting!

6. Practice Time!

Answer the questions using が：

だれが桃ももが好すきですか？ Who likes peaches?
→ ノリさんが桃が好きです。 Nori likes peaches.
だれが自転車じてんしゃを持もっていますか？ Who has a bicycle?
→ メアリーさんが自転車を持っています。 Mary has a bicycle.
どんな日本料理にほんりょうりが有名ゆうめいですか？ What kind of Japanese cuisine is it famous for?
→ とんかつが有名です。 Pork cutlets are famous.
どんな映画えいががおもしろかったですか？ What movie was interesting to you?
→ 「スター・ウォーズ」がおもしろかったです。“Star Wars” was fun.

7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q Is が always stronger than は?: A
Yes, が is more specific and emphasizes who/what is being referred to. Use it when you’re identifying something or someone.

Q Can I use both は and が in the same sentence?: A
Yes! Example: わたしは音楽おんがくが好きです。
= As for me, I like music.

Q What’s a good rule of thumb for beginners?: A
Use は for setting up a topic.
Use が to answer “who?” or “what?” or to emphasise something specific.
Also, use が when you are describing something neutrally for the first time.
(e.g., あ、猫ねこがいる！ – Oh, there’s a cat!)

Q Can the topic marked by は (wa) be something other than the grammatical subject?: A
Yes! While the topic (marked by は) is often the subject (like in 私わたしは学生がくせいです – I am a student), は broadly indicates what you want to talk about. It can mark time (今日きょうは – Today…), location (ここでは – Here…), or other elements as the general theme of the sentence. Think of it as meaning “Regarding X…” or “Speaking of X…”.

Q ou said が marks new information. Does it always mean strong emphasis?: A
Not always strong emphasis. While が can be used for emphasis (Rule #1), it’s also the default particle to mark the subject when simply introducing something new or making a neutral observation. For example: 「あ、雨あめが降ふってきた。」 (A, ame ga futte kita – Oh, it started raining). Here, が neutrally marks “rain” as the subject doing the action, which is new information in the scene.

Conclusion

Understanding the difference between は and が helps you:

✅ Speak more naturally
✅ Emphasize the right information
✅ Answer wh-questions properly
✅ Avoid common beginner mistakes

🌟 Challenge: Try answering this— あなたの国では、どんなスポーツが人気ですか？

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