Particles are the exam topic learners fear most and the one with the best effort-to-payoff ratio: nine little words carry the entire N5 sentence system. The quiz video shows you which ones you mix up; this page gives you the decision map to fix them. Bookmark it, retake the video quiz in three days, and watch the difference.
How to use this page: take the video quiz first, pausing before each reveal to commit to an answer. Then work through the lesson below, and finish with the fresh quiz at the bottom โ different questions, same skill. If the bottom quiz feels easy, the lesson worked.
The nine core particles
| Japanese | Reading | English |
|---|---|---|
| ใฏ | wa | topic โ what the sentence is about |
| ใ | ga | subject โ new info; targets of ใใใปใใใใปใใใพใ |
| ใ | o | direct object โ the thing acted on |
| ใซ | ni | time point, destination, existence place, receiver |
| ใง | de | place of action, tool, means of transport |
| ใธ | e | direction of movement |
| ใจ | to | with (a person); and (complete list) |
| ใ | mo | also / too โ replaces ใฏใปใใปใ |
| ใฎ | no | possession / linking two nouns |
What to actually take away
ใซ vs ใง is a "being vs doing" test. Existing somewhere โ ใซ (ใจใใใใใซ ใใพใ). Doing something somewhere โ ใง (ใจใใใใใง ในใใใใใใพใ). Ask: is the verb an action? Then ใง.
ใฏ vs ใ: known vs new. ใฏ marks what you are both already talking about; ใ introduces or singles out. And the special cases โ ใใ, ใใใ, ใใใใ, ใใใ, ใใใพใ/ใใพใ โ all take ใ. The full ใฏ vs ใ guide goes deeper.
ใ almost always has a verb "eating" it. If nothing acts on the noun, ใ is wrong. That is why ใใใงใ takes ใ โ ใใ is an adjective, and adjectives cannot take objects.
ใ is a replacer, not an adder. ใใใใ (not ใใใใฏใ). It swaps places with ใฏ, ใ or ใ โ but sits after other particles: ใจใใใใใธใ ใใใพใ.
Fresh quiz โ same skill, new questions
1. ใซใกใใใณใใใใใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ ใตใใซใผใ ใใพใใ
Playing soccer is an action, and actions take ใง for their location. ใใใใใซ would describe existing in the park (ใใพใ/ใใใพใ).
2. ใใใใฏ ใใฌ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ ใใใงใใ
ใใ is an adjective, so its target takes ใ โ the highest-frequency particle question in every N5 quiz ever made.
3. ใพใใใ ๏ผใ๏ผฟ๏ผฟ ใใใพใใ
Specific clock times take ใซ. (๏ผใใใ would mean "from 7 onward" โ possible, but the plain "I get up at 7" is ใซ.)
4. ใใฎใ ใจใใ ใก๏ผฟ๏ผฟ ใใใใ ใฟใพใใใ
ใจ marks the companion โ "with a friend". ใซ would make the friend a destination or receiver, which no one deserves.
Go deeper
- Particles master guide โ every particle, one page
- Particle practice test โ 60 questions with explanations โ the video's big sibling
- Particles cheat sheet PDF โ print it, stick it above your desk
More video lessons
- Video Lesson: Script & Vocabulary Practice
- Video Lesson: Everyday Vocabulary Under Pressure
- Video Lesson: Turning Recognition into Recall
- Video Lesson: The Daily Warm-Up Routine
Video and companion lesson by Rahul Kumar Singh. Published 17 July 2026. The lesson content on this page is original study material written to accompany the video โ it extends the quiz, it is not a transcript. Spotted an error? Report it.