が marks the subject of a clause. It marks who or what does, undergoes, or exists in a verb-ending clause, who or what is identified in a noun-ending clause, or what is being described in an adjective-ending clause.
Identifying the Subject
が is used when the sentence identifies who or what the predicate applies to.
For a clause ending in an action verb, が identifies who or what is performing the action.
私が作りました。
I made it.
This says that something was made, but it also picks out 私 as the person who made it. For that reason, が is common in answers to “who?” or “what?” questions.
誰が電話した？
Who called?
兄が電話した。
My older brother called.
Example 1 of 7: Dorky shirt my mom bought me with ダサイ
Nishikata and Takagi meet up at the library to study. Although it’s hot out, and Nishikata ran to make it to the library on time, he refuses to remove his sweater.
西片:
「今日のＴシャツは… 母さんが買ってきたなんかダサイやつ！！」
“Today's T-shirt is...some dorky thing my mom bought me!!”
Akari picks up a box containing glassware items for her to transport. One of the employees from the shop making the glassware takes the box from her to place in her gondola. After he does this a second time, Akari says she can help carry the boxes, but he refuses.
職人:
「このガラス達は親方が精魂込めて作った」
“These pieces of glass were made with the maestro's heart and soul poured into them.”
「僕達職人の努力の結晶なんス」
“They're the crystallization of our craftsmen's efforts.”
A glass workshop’s employee keeps taking boxes from Akari to load them himself. 親方が作った picks out who made the glass: the master. The furigana reads 親方 as マエストロ, which suits the Venetian setting.
At the end of her school day, Chino thinks about dinner. 夕飯は makes dinner the topic, and ココアさんが says who should be making it: Cocoa, who’s expected to cook stew tonight.
Example 4 of 7: Lunch duty today of all days with 〜に限って
Komura and Mie have serving duty in the cafeteria. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue, except today Mie accidentally stepped on her glasses and broke them, and can barely see without them.
小村:
「そしてそんな日に限って給食当番」
“Thus, on a day such as that (of all days), she has lunch duty.”
「だから今日も俺が三重さんをサポートしようと思ったんだけど…」
“Therefore, I thought I'd support Mie today as well, but...”
Mina tells Sanae that if you clasp your hands together, you can know whether you were a boy or a girl in a past life. When Mina interlocks her fingers, her left thumb is on top. For Sanae, it’s her right thumb. In the past, one was a boy, and the other was a girl.
Mina says the way you clasp your hands shows whether you were a boy or a girl in a past life, and she and Sanae clasp differently. Sanae asks どっちがどっちなの？, “which is which?”. It ends in a noun plus なの, and its subject is a question word. A question word that’s the subject takes が, not は.
The Colors are heading to a croquette shop, and Yui hopes the owner will give them croquettes. Kotoha’s 牛肉コロッケがいい, “beef croquettes would be nice”, has another が, this time before an adjective. Sacchan’s コーンが１番だぞ, “corn is the best”, ends in a noun, and が picks out which kind of croquette earns the title.
Example 7 of 7: Receiving saying with 〜れる
Example 7 of 7
And when a clause ends in an adjective, が identifies who or what is being described.
A customer told Cocoa she has a sister complex, and she’s thrilled. 響きがかっこいい, “the sound is cool”, ends in an adjective, and が picks out what’s cool: the sound of the phrase.
Existence
With ある and いる, が marks the thing that exists.
庭に犬がいる。
There is a dog in the yard.
明日、会議がある。
There is a meeting tomorrow.
This use often introduces the existing thing into the conversation. The place where something exists is marked with に. When the thing is an event, such as a meeting, its place takes で instead: 会議室で会議がある, “there’s a meeting in the conference room”.
Example 1 of 5: Wanted to you taste-test with 〜てほしかった
Momoka notices the trio Colors pestering a television cameraman. She intervenes to help him, telling the girls that she is heading to her family’s bakery to have taste-testing of her new type of rice ball.
ももか:
「カラーズちゃんにも試食してほしかったんだけどなー」
“I wanted you all to do some taste-testing as well, but...”
Momoka wanted the Colors to taste-test her new rice balls, but they’re busy pestering a TV cameraman. テレビがあるなら, “if there’s TV involved”, uses ある with が on テレビ.
Example 2 of 5: A little sister like Chino with 〜みたい
During a study session, Chino finds Syaro a much better teacher than Cocoa, and Syaro is delighted. チノちゃんみたいな妹がいたら, “if I had a little sister like Chino”, uses いる for a person, with が on the sister.
Example 3 of 5: A hot-blooded cavalry battle with 血の気が多い
It’s lunch on sports day, and Kyouko warns that the cavalry battle gets rough. Kiyomi isn’t worried: うちは番長がいるから, “we’ve got the big boss”. いる with が says the boss is there on their side.
Nishikata and Takagi are getting the classroom ready before class, and Takagi half-remembers something: 持ちもの検査があったような気が…, “I think there’s a bag inspection today”. ある with が introduces an event as something on the schedule.
At Professor Agasa’s request, Ran takes Conan home to see if her father will let him stay over for a while. When they reach Ran’s place, her detective father bursts out of the front door, saying he’s heading out on a job.
小五郎:
「さっき電話があったんだよ！！」
“I just got a call!!”
「娘が黒ずくめの男に誘拐されたと、親から依頼が来た！！」
“A request came from the parent, saying his daughter was kidnapped by a man dressed in all black!!”
Ran brings Conan home, and her father bursts out the door on his way to a job. さっき電話があった, “there was a call just now”, uses ある for an event. The next line has two more が: 娘が for who was kidnapped and 依頼が for what came in.
State of Things
Some predicates describe a state rather than a direct action. In many of these sentences, が marks the thing involved in that state.
妹は魚が好きだ。
My younger sister likes fish.
Literal: For my sister, fish is liked.
窓から海が見える。
The ocean is visible from the window.
Literal: From the window, the sea is visible.
漢字が読める。
I can read kanji.
Literal: (For me), kanji is readable.
In English, some of these look like objects. Japanese dictionaries describe the が used with liking, wanting, and ability as marking the target (対象), and grammarians disagree on whether it counts as a subject. The literal readings above show why が fits: the fish is liked, the ocean is visible, and the kanji is readable. With potential verbs, を is also common: 漢字を読める.
After Yousuke finishes moving his belongings into his new home with the help of his friend Jumbo, Jumbo offers to pick up some gifts for Yousuke to give his new neighbors when he goes around the neighborhood to introduce himself.
Jumbo offers to pick up gifts for Yousuke’s new neighbors, and Yousuke warns him not to bring anything weird. 俺はプリンが好きなんだ, “I happen to like pudding”, makes Jumbo the topic with は and puts が on what he likes.
Example 2 of 6: Thinking of delivering milk with 〜ようと思う
Takeru and Ayumu are talking about being in high school now. Ayumu’s バイトができる, “I can get a part-time job”, uses できる, and the job takes が. It’s a possibility, not an action he’s performing.
Example 3 of 6: Don't want you to misunderstand with 〜ないでほしい
Takagi’s prank on Nishikata failed, and she asks whether he dislikes being teased. Then she explains: 西片が好きだから, “because I like you”, puts が on the person she likes. 好き describes a state, not an action.
Example 4 of 6: Getting good grades in school with 成績
Yukari is comparing her life with her friends’. ミナは料理が得意, “Mina’s good at cooking”, makes Mina the topic and puts が on what she’s good at. Like 好き, 得意 takes が for its target.
At the school festival, Ayumu and Urushi stop by the affinity fortune telling booth while Maki is on duty. Maki holds out a box with an opening on top, and says they need to pull out a single card together.
マキ:
「０〜１００の点数が書いてるからそれで相性がわかるんだよ」
“Your compatibility is determined by the score written from 0 to 100.”
Ayumu and Urushi visit a compatibility booth at the school festival, and Maki explains the cards. それで相性がわかる, “that tells you your compatibility”, puts が on what becomes clear. わかる describes a state, not an action.
Example 6 of 6: Cause of incidents in the pool with 原因
After cheerleading practice, Sakura overhears her friends talking about incidents at the school pool, where Sakura and Chiharu were among those mysteriously pulled underwater.
千春:
「きょう また プールで足 引っぱられておぼれそうになったんだって」
“I heard that today, someone got dragged under the water at the pool and almost drowned again.”
奈緒子:
「こわいねーーー」
“That's scary!”
千春:
「先生が原因がわからないならプール閉鎖するしかないっていってたよ」
“The teacher said that if they can't figure out the cause, they'll have no choice but to close the pool.”
Sakura’s friends are talking about students getting pulled under at the school pool. Chiharu repeats what the teacher said: if 原因がわからない, “the cause isn’t known”, they’ll have no choice but to close the pool. 先生が earlier in the line marks who said it.
が and は
Both が and は can appear near the beginning of a sentence, but they do different jobs.
田中さんが先生です。
Tanaka is the teacher.
田中さんは先生です。
As for Tanaka, he is a teacher.
The が sentence answers “who is the teacher?” The は sentence makes Tanaka the topic and then comments on him. This is one of the most important differences between the two particles.
が also reports something the speaker has just noticed. Someone who opens their wallet at the register and finds it empty says:
お金がない！
I don’t have any money!
お金はない would sound wrong here. It treats money as a topic both people already have in mind, as when a parent turns down a child asking for cash.
Example 1 of 2: Strange incidents on after another in Tokyo with 続出
Luna introduces herself to Usagi, but Usagi thinks she’s dreaming if a cat is speaking to her. Luna gives Usagi a special brooch, then proceeds to explain the dire situation that has brought them together.
ルナ:
「いまTOKYOは変な事件が続出してるわ」
“Strange incidents are popping up all over Tokyo these days.”
「警察の手にはおえないような事件がね」
“Incidents that seem beyond the police's control, you know.”
Luna explains why she has come to Usagi. いまTOKYOは makes Tokyo the topic, and 変な事件が続出してる says what’s happening there: strange incidents, one after another. は sets the scene, and が marks what’s happening.
Example 2 of 2: Leaving the room while Yukiko was out with 〜間
Example 2 of 2
Inside a clause that describes a time or a noun, the subject normally takes が, not は.
A murder victim was last heard from via phone call at 9PM. Her body was found outside later that night. Yukiko was in the main room with everyone except when she was bathing.
有希子:
「私が入ってる間、誰か部屋から出た人はいた？」
“While I was in the bath, was there anyone who left the room?”
A woman was murdered, and Yukiko was in the bath for part of the evening. 私が入ってる間, “while I was in the bath”, is a time clause, so its subject takes が. Her real question follows: did anyone leave the room?
Replacing が with の
Inside a clause that describes a noun, の can take the place of が. The meaning stays the same.
背の高い人
a tall person
Literal: a person whose height is tall
母の作ったカレー
the curry my mom made
母が作ったカレー means the same thing. This の doesn’t mean the curry belongs to Mom. It marks her as the one who made it. You can tell it apart from the possessive の by what comes next: an adjective or verb, and then the noun being described.
の replaces が only inside a clause that describes a noun. The main subject of a sentence keeps が, so 母が作った, “Mom made it”, can’t become 母の作った.
The swap also sounds wrong when the clause has a direct object marked with を. 母がカレーを作った日, “the day Mom made curry”, is fine. 母のカレーを作った日 is heard as “the day someone made Mom’s curry” instead.
Mizuho-sensei is a new teacher. During her student teaching in Tokyo, a class survey called her lessons boring, and she wants her first graders to have fun. Today she is leading them on a school exploration. In the music room, the children crowd around the grand piano, and Sami asks whether it plays any songs. Mizuho-sensei sees her chance. She sits down at the piano, offers to play, and asks the class for requests.
みずほ先生:
「フフフ… この日のために子供の好きな童謡から流行の曲まで練習してきましたよ！！」
“Heh heh heh... For this day, I've practiced everything from the nursery rhymes kids love to the latest hits!!”
Mizuho-sensei, a new teacher, is about to show off on the music room piano for her first graders. 子供の好きな童謡, “nursery rhymes kids like”, describes the songs with the clause 子供の好きな, “that kids like”. The songs don’t belong to the kids. The kids are the ones who like them, just as in 子供が好きな童謡.
Example 2 of 2: Why must I bring you your lunch with 〜なければならない
Spinel Sun had to bring Ruby Moon’s forgotten lunch to school. あなたの忘れたお弁当, “the lunch you forgot”, describes the lunch with a clause whose subject is あなた, the one who forgot it. わたしが in the same line stays が: it’s the subject of the main predicate, 届けなければならない, not of a clause describing a noun.
Dropping が
In casual speech, が is often left out when it’s clear how the noun fits into the sentence. It drops most often right before the predicate, especially with ある and ない.
お腹すいた。
I’m hungry.
Literal: My stomach has emptied.
雨降ってる。
It’s raining.
Literal: Rain is falling.
Putting が back, as in お腹がすいた, doesn’t change the basic meaning. Leaving it out sounds conversational, so it’s rare in formal writing, though casual messages often drop it too.
が usually stays when it singles out the subject, as in answers to “who?” or “what?” questions. In 兄が電話した, “my older brother called”, the が says it was him and nobody else, and dropping it would lose that.
Example 1 of 6: Thanks for the sunset photograph with ありがと
On her way home from the store, Takagi sees Nishikata out jogging. She asks where he’s heading, and he says he doesn’t really have a destination, but he’s jogged as far as the beach before. Takagi doesn’t seem to fully believe him, so after they part ways, Nishikata heads specifically for the beach. Once there, he takes a photograph and sends it to Takagi as proof of his accomplishment.
Nishikata jogged all the way to the beach and sent Takagi a photo to prove it. She replies 夕日きれいだね, “the sunset’s pretty”. The full form is 夕日がきれいだね, but between friends the が is easy to drop.
Yukari sees Mina with a kendama while between classes. She tells Mina they need to get to their next class, but Mina has decided not to head to the classroom until she successfully gets the ball onto the spike. Yukari tells Mina to hand it over to her to try.
Mina won’t head to class until she lands her kendama trick, and Yukari asks to try it. Mina protests with 時間ないのに, “but there’s no time”. ない is one of the predicates that most often loses its が: the full form is 時間がないのに.
Aru returns to her classroom after club. Expecting the classroom to be empty, she’s singing a song about herself as she enters the room. There, she finds her friends idling away the time.
アル:
「なな 何で皆いんのよ！（誰もいないと思ってた！）」
“Wh- why is it that you all are here?! (I was thinking no one was here!)”
Valentine’s Day is coming, and Rinko brings it up while she and Takeo have a drink after school. 限定チョコいっぱい出てる, “lots of limited-edition chocolate is out”, drops the が after チョコ. It isn’t only ある and ない: many other predicates can lose their が when the meaning stays clear.
Sana sees Shun for the first time in seven years and notices he wears glasses now. 周りはコンタクト多いから, “lots of people around us wear contacts”, keeps the は on 周り but drops the が on コンタクト. Her next question does the same: 抵抗あった, “were you hesitant”, is short for 抵抗があった.
Example 6 of 6: Sell-by date with 期限
Example 6 of 6
が also drops inside a clause that describes a noun, so 期限が近いおかし and 期限近いおかし mean the same thing. In this position, が can also turn into の, as in 期限の近いおかし.
The sweets shop owner runs into the Colors while out shopping and invites them to stop by. 期限近いおかし, “snacks near their sell-by date”, describes the snacks with a clause whose subject is 期限, and its が is left out.
