Welcome to Gaia! ::

JAPANESE PARTICLES

は
は points out the subject in the sentence.
It translates roughly to something as "if it's about", but it's role is more similiar to "is", you could say.
Template:
X は - if it's about X
Example:
夏は暑いです。
Natsu wa atsui desu. - It's hot in summer. ;lit. Summer is hot.
Sometimes this particle may be left out, too. If it's used it sounds more formal and polite.
Example 2:
- 愛子は何処ですか。
- 学校にいる。
Aiko wa doko desu ka. - Where is Aiko?
Gakkou ni iru. - At school.

が
が is used in a similiar way as は. Often you'll have to think which one to use.
The performer of the activity
が is used to point out the thing which the action is about.
Example:
僕の友達が来た。
Boku no tomodach ga kita. - My friends came.
Example 2:
誰があたしのケーキを食べた？
Dare ga atashi no keeki o tabeta? - Who ate my cake?

Confirming presence
When we want to point out or confirms something's or someone's presence. Then the following construction should be used: noun + が + ある/いる. Now, which to use? "Aru" or "iru"? That's quite simple? いる is used with living objects like people, animals, while ある with non-animated ones such as plants or things.
Example:
お金がある？
Okane ga aru? - Do you have money?; lit. Is there money?
Note that in japanese you don't say that "you have something", but that "there is something". Funny, but that's how it is.
Example 2:
誰が今日買い物をした？
Dare ga kyou kaimono o shita? - Who did the shopping today?

Both は and が can be used in one sentence. This is a bit tricky, so go through this part carefully.
Example:
ロシアは冬がとても冷たいです。
Roshia wa fuyu ga totemo tsumetai desu. - In winter it's very cold in Russia; lit. Russia is winter is very cold. Or something like that, in English it's very hard to write.
This sentence can be also written in a different way. Kind of the opposite way round.
冬がとても冷たい国はロシアです。
Fuyu ga totemo tsumetai kuni wa Roshia desu. - The country where it's very cold in winter is Russia.


の
の is the particle that describes property. It's very easy to use.
Template:
A の B
This means that B belongs to A. This applies also to origin.
Example:
瞳のドレス
Hitomi no doresu - Hitomi's dress
Example 2:
あのジャケットが楓の物です。
Ano jaketto ga Kaede no mono desu. - Lit. That jacket is Kaede's thing.

に
The に particle can have a couple of functions.
Goal
に points out the movement. The goal can be also a person.
Example:
家に帰る。
Ie ni kaeru. - I'm coming back home.
Example: 2
プレゼントを買った、そしてお母さんに上げた。
Purezento o katta, soshite okaasan ni ageta. - I bought a prezent and gave it to mother.
Time
に　can be used to describe the time when the activity takes place.
七時に夕食を食べる。
Shichiji ni yuushoku o taberu.　－　I'm going to eat supper at six o'clock.
Location
Besides the above uses of に、It can also be used when one wants to say where something Is.
電話はあそこにある。
Denwa wa asoko ni aru.　－　The telephone is over there.

へ
Instead of the に particle, this particle can be used if referring to a goal. NOTE: It's read as "e" in this case.
Example:
デパートへ行き。
Depaato e iku. - I'm going to a department store.

で
This particle is used to point out the place where the activity happens.
Example：
順は学校で英語を勉強する。
Jun wa gakkou de eigo o benkyou suru. – Jun studies English at school.
It can also be used to describe the way in which something is done.
Example 2:
寿司が箸で食べる。
Sushi ga hashi de taberu. - I eat sushi with chopsticks.

を
It points out the thing or object which is the “main hero”of the activity.
Example:
蘭は紅茶を飲む。
Ran wa koucha o nomu. －　Ran is drinking tea.
However, when we want to say that we like something we use が　instead of を.
Example:
買い物をするが大好きです。
Kaimono o suru ga daisuki desu. －　I love shopping very much.

と
This particle connects two nouns. It's just like “and”.
Example:
家後と日本語を話すが出来る。
Eigo to nihongo o hanasu ga dekiru. －　I can speak English and Japanese.

も
This particle means "too”.　
Example:
モニカは英国人です。クリストファーも英国人です。
Monika wa eikokujin desu. Kuristofaa mo eikokujin desu. - Monica is English. Christopher is English too.

よ
An informal particle. It's used to strengthen the statement.
Example:
今日は暑いですよ。
Kyou wa atsui desu yo. – It is hot today.

ね
When this particle is used it's like a statement that seeks confirmation.
It could be rougly translated to something like "Isn't it?” or “Right?”.
Example:
このマフラーは高いですね。
Kono mafuraa wa takai desu ne. - This scarf is expensive, isn’t it?

ぞ
This particle is pretty much like よ。It's used in slang, mostly by teenage guys.
Example:
すごく楽しいかったぞー。
Sugoku tanoshikatta zo. - It was very fun.

Very nice. I think this well help lots of people. が can be a little confusing til you've used it a while. Especially since it's often used with verbs as well just like を. You'll have to figure out which one to use when. Also, if it helps anyone with clarity, を is used to mark the direct object when used with verbs. What the verb is being done to. Such as liking the person, or giving the book.