JLPT N5
が
Subject marker
Structure
Noun が
How it works
The particle 'が' (ga) marks the grammatical subject of a sentence, indicating who or what performs an action or exists. It is often used to introduce new information, emphasize a specific subject, or with verbs of existence like 'imasu' and 'arimasu'. Unlike 'wa', which sets the topic, 'ga' focuses on the subject itself.
Examples
猫がいます。
There is a cat.
雨が降っています。
It is raining.
だれが来ましたか。
Who came?
Common mistakes
Confusing 'ga' with 'wa'; use 'ga' when the subject is an interrogative word (like 'dare' or 'nani'), never 'wa'.
Tip
Think of 'ga' as a spotlight. While 'wa' talks about the whole scene, 'ga' points directly at a specific noun and says 'this is the one doing the action'.
More JLPT N5 grammar
See が in real Japanese
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