Free cheat sheet · Particles
Japanese particles cheat sheet (free PDF)
Japanese particles are short words after a noun that show its job in the sentence: は marks the topic, を the object, に a time or destination and で the place of an action. This cheat sheet lists 25 particle uses you need for the JFT-Basic, each with an example sentence and its translation, plus the pairs learners mix up most. Particles are the base of the grammar questions in the Conversation and Expression section.
Free PDF cheat sheet
Japanese particles cheat sheet: は, が, を, に, で and more
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Updated Oct 31, 2026
The sheet
Japanese particles cheat sheet
The same content as the PDF. Use the switches to hide parts and test yourself; tap a hidden cell to reveal it.
25 particle uses for the JFT-Basic, each with an example sentence and its meaning.
Particles and what they do
| Particle | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| は | topic | 私はネパールから 来ました。I'm from Nepal. |
| が | existence | あそこに 猫がいます。There is a cat over there. |
| が | likes | 私は 犬が好きです。I like dogs. |
| が | skills | 私は 料理が上手じゃ ありません。I'm not good at cooking. |
| を | object | 私は 毎日 コーヒーを飲みます。I drink coffee every day. |
| を | leaving | 次の 駅で 電車を降りて ください。Please get off the train at the next station. |
| を | route | 毎朝 公園を散歩します。I take a walk in the park every morning. |
| に | time | 毎朝 7時に起きます。I get up at 7 every morning. |
| に | person | 私は 毎晩 母に電話を かけます。I phone my mother every evening. |
| に | into | この 部屋に入らないで ください。Please don't enter this room. |
| に | place of parking | 店の 前に車を 止めないで ください。Please don't park your car in front of the shop. |
| に | meeting | 明日、私は 先生に会います。Tomorrow I'll meet my teacher. |
| へ | direction | 来週、大阪へ行きます。I'm going to Osaka next week. |
| で | place of action | 駅で友だちを 待ちます。I'll wait for my friend at the station. |
| で | means | 私は 毎日 バスで会社へ 行きます。I go to work by bus every day. |
| と | with | 日曜日、友だちと映画を 見ました。On Sunday I watched a film with a friend. |
| と | and | 土曜日と日曜日は 休みです。Saturdays and Sundays are days off. |
| も | also | 田中さんは 学生です。私も学生です。Mr Tanaka is a student. I'm a student too. |
| の | possession | これは 私のかばんです。This is my bag. |
| から | from | 仕事は 9時から5時までです。Work is from 9 to 5. |
| まで | until | 昨日は 夜 11時まで働きました。Yesterday I worked until 11 at night. |
| や | and (examples, not a full list) | りんごや バナナを 買いました。I bought apples, bananas and so on. |
| か | question | これは 何ですか。What is this? |
| ね | checking, sharing a feeling | 今日は 暑いですね。It's hot today, isn't it? |
| よ | telling someone something new | この 電車は 東京に 行きますよ。This train goes to Tokyo, you know. |
Pairs people mix up
- に or で for a place? に is where something is or where you go: 部屋に います, 駅に 行きます. で is where an action happens: 駅で 待ちます.
- は or が? は marks the topic: 私は 学生です. が marks what exists, what you like and what you are good at: 猫が います, 犬が 好きです.
- へ or に with 行きます? Both mark a destination: 大阪へ 行きます, 大阪に 行きます. へ puts the focus on the direction.
- Pronunciation: as particles, は is read wa, へ is read e and を is read o.
How to use it
How to use the particles sheet for the JFT-Basic
Learn the verb with its particle
Many particles go with a verb: に 会います, を 降ります, に 入ります. Learn them as pairs, the way the examples show.
Cover the particle
Hide the English with the switch above the sheet, read each example and say the particle before you look.
Read the confusing pairs
に or で, は or が: the tips at the bottom cover the choices that cost the most points.
Then answer real blanks
Every example comes from the grammar quiz, which asks the same thing with four options.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
- Japanese verb conjugation chartPolite, plain, te and ta forms for all three verb groups, plus adjectives.
- JFT-Basic grammar quizParticles and verb forms the test uses most, explained after each answer.
- JFT-Basic reviewer PDF with answersOriginal practice questions with an answer key, printable on A4.
- Free JFT-Basic PDFs and cheat sheetsPrintable kana charts, kanji and vocabulary lists, grammar sheets and a reviewer.
Step 1 · 15 minutes
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