The Difference Between Particles は and が
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But the second best time is today.” - Chinese Proverb
So if は and が are essentially the same particles, what makes them different? Basically, it comes down to a bit of nuance.
は emphasizes what comes after it.
が emphasizes what comes before it.
I’m going to ask you to do a bit of memorization now. I want you to remember the は emphasizes what comes after it, and が emphasizes what comes before it. It’s only two concepts you have to remember, and luckily they’re opposites, so all you really need to learn is which one is which. Spend a couple minutes remembering which one is which (and write them down) so that you can make things easier on yourself from here on out.
Remember…
は emphasizes what comes after it.
が emphasizes what comes before it.
So, what in the world does this mean? I think it’s best to tell you a little story…one about aliens and body switching and deadly choices.