In Japanese, you will learn about a lot of verb endings about wanting things (読みたい), suggesting things (読もう), or negating things (読まない), but there a group of endings that are adding ON TOP of all those other verb endings. These are called modal particles.
Japanese modal particles are single-syllable endings we add after the main conjugation to show the speaker’s opinion of the sentence or communicating the speaker and listener’s knowledge. They cannot be translated perfectly into English, which makes it difficult to understand. The best way to translate them would be with your tone or a context-sensitive extra verb in English. Rather than explain the theoretical ideas of these particles, let’s see these Japanese modal particles in action.
よ
You will use よ to assert a fact that the speaker thinks the listener does not know. The speaker has some conviction. You can add a よ to add some emphasis. Think of this as a grammatical version of the exclamation point !!!
この映画はものすごく面白いですよ。
＝(No, really, dude, like seriously) This movie is extremely interesting.🤩
そうですよ。
= (I am telling you) It is so!😯
ね
You will use ね in situations when you expect the agreement of the listener. It can also be used for looking for confirmation. This particle is probably spoken with another person in the room; you’re not speaking to yourself.
これは先生のかばんですね。😀
= This is the teacher’s bag, isn’t it?
そうですね。😙
= (Right, right) it do be like that.
な
Use な in situations for confirmation. What separates it from ね is that な is allowing more room for disagreement. You could use な if you’re talking to yourself aloud. Also, you can use this to open a conversation or change a topic.
可愛い子犬だな。
= That is a cute dog, (don’t you think)?! 😊
そうだなぁ。
= It is so, (isn’t it)? 👀👀👀
わ
You will use this either as a feminine or childish way to soften your tone. You can also use this as a conclusion of some logic or conclusion of an opinion.
誰でも手伝えない。仕方ないわ。
= No one can help. (Seeing as such is the case) there’s nothing to do.😒
私だわ。
= It’s me! 🌟🤗🌟 (sparkles sometimes appear around you when you use this particle)
ぞ
This particle ぞ shows strong assertion. It adds a feeling of “and you can’t change my mind about it.” As such, this Japanese modal particle has a more masculine feeling. The most typical use of this particle is a brooding anime protagonist saying 行くぞ who won’t take no for an answer as he heads out, expecting others to follow.
ここから出るぞ。
= We’re getting out of here, (and that’s that).😠
勉強するぞ。
= (Quit all this other stuff, and) let’s study.😤
ぜ
This particle ぜ is similar to ぞ because it is a masculine feeling that shows your will or decision. The difference is that ぜ brings something to the listener’s attention. It tables an idea. ぜ lets someone know of some strong feeling.
誰のほうが強いか見せるぜ。
＝I’ll show you who’s stronger! 😠
今晩僕が料理するぜ。
= I’ll be the one who cooks tonight, (got it?)😏
の
の shows doubt or brings some unsure point into the conversation.
It is also a soft, feminine way to explain a situation or decision.
Grammatically, be careful of this one because it nominalizes the attached word. Therefore, if you use a noun or な adjective, it will become –なの, and not –だの.
一緒に来ないの？
＝You’re not coming with us? (is what I’m getting by looking at you). 🤨
私は学生なの。
＝(Well, you see,) I’m a student, (which explains what just happened).😋
さ
You will use this Japanese modal particle さ if you are looking for acknowledgement of your sentence. It can also show confidence with an outcome or make a promise.
俺は英語を教えてあげるさ。
= I’ll teach you English (for sure!)🤗
教えてあげるけど、明日忙しすぎるさ。
= I’ll teach you, but (hear me out) I am too busy tomorrow.😅
Flexibility with what you attach particles to
Something interesting about these particles is that they do not generally affect the other verb forms you know (unless they have conflicting meanings) from a morphological perspective. You can attach them to commands, suggestions, adjectives, and even nouns that already have particles.
今日はね
= Right, so like, today, right…
頑張ってくださいね
= Do your best, alright?
教えてよ
= Come oooooooon, teach me!
俺はさ、問題ないと思う
= Well, as for me, I think there isn’t a problem.
やろうぜ
= Let’s do it, ‘kay?
These Japanese modal particles are a rabbit hole that take months and years to get straight. If you want additional examples and explanations, japanesewithanime.com made an explanation about this topic that I highly recommend. This was a crash course; that article is the university course on the topic.
If you want more help learning languages, you can find more useful articles on this website, as well as Japanese resources that could help you on your journey.
頑張ってね
