Japanese Particles は vs. が
“You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” - Albert Einstein
When you look at the title of this chapter, you probably recognize and feel fairly comfortable with the particle は, at least when it comes to simple things. The one you probably don’t recognize is the particle が, which, unfortunately, is really really similar (but not the same). Japanese students go years not really understanding the differences between these two particles, mostly because very few resources take the time to explain it (or they just don’t know how to). I’m hoping, though, that by the time you reach the end of this chapter you’ll at least understand them both. From there, you’ll learn more and more how to use them properly.
Let’s get started.