How to use sentence ending particles in Japanese
Welcome back to another “Video & Article” series with tutor Wakako. In this article and video we will talk about how to speak casually in Japanese. Speaking casual Japanese does not only mean leaving out “Keigo”. It involves varying degrees of leaving out and adding particles and exchanging certain stiff or polite words. Let’s take a first look at how to speak casual Japanese!
| Table of Contents [Introduction] [Sentence ending particles] [よ, ぞ & ね] [な, なあ & や] [か↗ & か↘] [わ↗, わ↘ & わよ] [ぜ] |
[Introduction]
In spoken Japanese, many kinds of sentence ending particles are used. These particles function to show the speaker’s mood, emotions, or attitude and often allow the speaker to give off a friendly impression or make the tone of the sentence softer.
[Sentence ending particles]
If you speak Japanese entirely without using sentence ending particles, it is going to sound too direct and unnatural – sometimes even impolite.
You can use sentence ending particles not only with the dictionary form of verb in casual conversations, but also in polite conversations. They can be added to the “ます”-form of a verb as well.
You can also add these particles to nouns and adjectives.
There are many varieties of sentence ending particles. It’s best to be a little careful, since some particle sound very masculine and others very feminine. Additionally, each particle has a subtle nuance. Let’s take a look at some of these particles now.
[よ, ぞ & ね]
“よ”, “ぞ” and “ね” are used to relay information thought to be important by the speaker, especially when the speaker wants to make extra sure.
明日の待ち合わせは、10時だよ。
The time to meet tomorrow is 10.
食べ放題だ。さあ、たくさんたべるぞ。
“ぞ” is usually used by men since it sounds very masculine, but sometimes women use it as well.
頑張って料理したから、たくさん食べてね。
I put a lot of effort into this food, so please eat a lot.
“よ” is used to call someone over as well.
ミケ、ご飯だよ。
Mike, it’s dinner time!
(“ミケ” is a typical name for a cat in Japan.)
たけし、もう10時よ。起きなさい。
Takeshi, it’s already 10am. Get up!
“ね” is also used to ask for confirmation from the listener.
明日の待ち合わせは、10時だよね？
The time to meet tomorrow is 10, isn’t it?
この道で、いいんだよね？
This way is correct, isn’t it?
“ね” is also used to ask for agreement.
このワンピース、良子さんに似合うよね。
Ryoko looks good in this dress, doesn’t she?
今日は暑いね。
It’s hot today, isn’t it?
[な, なあ & や]
“な↘”, “なあ↘” and “や” express that the speaker is impressed.
良子さんはたくさん食べるなあ！
Ryoko sure eats a lot!
良子さんは、お寿司20貫
も食べるなんて、すごいや！
It’s amazing that Ryoko ate 20 pieces of Sushi!
* “貫
” is a counter word for Sushi.
[か↗ & か↘]
If you use “か” with rising intonation, it makes a question sentence. However, you can also use “か” with falling intonation. In that case, “か” expresses that the speaker has accepted something with a sense of surprise.
良子さん、お寿司20貫
も食べたのか。
I’m surprised that Ryoko managed to eat 20 pieces of Sushi by herself.
え、娘さんはもう20歳なのか。
What? Your daughter is already 20 years old!
“か” can also be used for talking to yourself, e.g when you’re trying to motivate yourself to do something.
10時。もう起きるか。
It’s 10 am. I should get up now.
明日テストだから、勉強するか。
I have an exam tomorrow, so I guess I should start studying.
[わ↗, わ↘ & わよ]
“わ” with rising intonation and “わよ” are used only if the speaker wants to sound feminine and express a feminine nuance. However, they are not used by young women these days. They sound a bit old-fashioned.
良子さんは、たくさん食べるわ。
Ryoko eats a lot.
私
もたくさん食べるわよ。
I eat a lot, too.
Sometimes “わ” is used with falling intonation. In this case, it doesn’t sound particularly feminine, so both men and women use it.
その仕事は、俺がやるわ。
I’ll do that task.
良子さんは、僕から言っておくわ。
I’ll tell this to Ryoko.
[ぜ]
“ぜ” sounds very masculine, so it’s mostly used by men. However, you will hardly ever hear this particle used in a real-life conversation. “ぜ” sounds like a male anime or manga character speaking.
愛してるぜ！
I love you!
俺の財宝か？欲しけりゃくれてやるぜ…
My treasure? If you want it, I’ll give it to you…!
That is all for today’s lesson. If you have any questions you can always clear them up by booking a lesson with one of our native Japanese tutors. See you next time!
| 文 | Sentence, text |
| 最後 | Last |
| 付ける | To attach, to add |
| 紹介する | To introduce |
| 気分 | Mood |
| 気持ち | Feeling |
| 態度 | Attitude |
| 示す | To show, to indicate |
| 感じ | Sense, impression |
| 柔らかい | Soft |
| 待ち合わせ | Appointment |
| 食べ放題 | All-you-can-eat |
| 料理する | To cook |
| ご飯 | Meal |
| 道 | Way, road, street |
| 似合う | To suit, to match |
| 暑い | Hot |
| お寿司 | Sushi |
| 貫 | Counting word for Sushi |
| 娘 | Daughter |
| 起きる | To wake up, to get up |
| 財宝 | Treasure |
| 欲しい | Wanted, wished for, to want something |
