を Particle

In Japanese, the wo を particle has one function: it marks the direct object of the sentence. Which should make it the simplest particle in all Japanese. However, just because it's the simplest one, that doesn't mean it's going to be simple.

To begin with, the wo を particle is also romanized o を. This happens because the wo を particle is pronounced like o お in Japanese.

In this article, as well as in the rest of this blog, it's romanized wo. In other blogs, resources, it may be romanized o. There's no difference: it's the same Japanese, different romaji.

• Direct Object Marker
  
  • In Passive Voice
    
    • Direct Object vs. Patient
  • Disparity with English
    
    • Nouns Becoming verbs
    • Passing Through
  • Replaced by ga が
    
    • Transitivity
    • Dummy Subject
    • Stative Verbs
    • Verbs Becoming Adjectives
    • Potential Form
    • Auxiliary Adjectives
• Sentence-Ending Particle
  
  • By Dislocation
  • By Omission
• Compounds

が Particle

In Japanese, the ga が particle has several functions.

• Subject Marker
  
  • Active Agent Marker
  • Passive Patient Marker
    
    • Patient vs. Direct Object
  • Disparity with English Subjects
    
    • Transitivity
    • Noun Becoming a Verb in English
    • Existence and Possession
    • Topic Marker Usage
  • Replacing wo を
    
    • With Auxiliaries
    • In The Potential Form
  • Replaced by wa は
    
    • Replaced by mo も
  • Replaced by no の in Relative Clauses
• Conjunction
  
  • Comma Placement
• Sentence-Ending Particle
  
  • Due to Repositioning
  • Due to Implicitness
  • Due to Omission
• Compounds
• Genitive Case Marker
  
  • Possessive Marker
  • In Names of Places and People

に Particle

In Japanese, the ni に particle has several functions.

• Indirect Object Marker
• Passive Agent Marker
• Adverbial Copula
• "For"
• Complements of a Set
• Marking Verbs and Adjectives
• Compounds

な Particle

In Japanese, the na な particle has several functions.

• Creates Adjectives
  
  • Attributive Copula
• Negative Command
• Agreement
• Wonder
• Doubt

の Subject Marker

In Japanese, the no の particle can sometimes replace the ga が particle as subject marker in a relative clause. Since this is something that's a bit confusing, I thought I'd better make a separate article to talk about it.

• Usage
• Tricky Parts
  
  • Subject in Japanese, Object in English
  • Ambiguity with の Adjectives

の Particle

In Japanese, the no の particle has several functions.

• Creates Adjectives
• Turns Words into Nouns
• Marks the Subject
• Asks Questions
• Asserts Statements

～といい～といい

In Japanese, __ to ii __ to ii ～といい～といい is a pattern used when citing two things about a situation before concluding something the situation.

• nedan to ii, shitsu to ii, manzoku desu
  値段といい、質といい、満足です
  (citing) the price, the quality, (conclusion) [I'm] satisfied.
• Given the price and the quality, I'm satisfied with this.

They're also spelled to ii と言い, from to iu と言う, "to say." Not to be confused with the other to ii といい, which's from "good," ii 良い.

The pattern can repeat for more than two things, but it's usually just two things.

otoko 男, 漢

In Japanese, otoko 男 means a "man," and otoko 漢 means a "MAN." A man among men. Whose pride, bravery, and dignity is unrivaled.

This, of course, isn't an actual word. It's a meme. It shows up in manga and anime from time to time.

Normally, "man" in Japanese is spelled otoko 男, as seen in words like otoko no ko 男の子, "male child," "boy."

The manga slang otoko 漢 is an ateji, that is, we're spelling with a certain kanji a word that doesn't have kanji or is normally spelled with different kanji. In this case, 漢 is the kanji for "man" in Chinese. Normally, it can only be read as kan 漢 in Japanese, like in chikan 痴漢, "foolish man," "molester." (another manga ateji is otokonoko 男の娘, "trap.")

koto aru ことある

In Japanese, koto aru ことある means something "exists" or "happens," or can happen, might happen, or that it has "happened," or that someone "has done" something before, as opposed to have never done it. Variants include koto ga aru ことがある and koto wa aru ことはある.

Literally, it's the combination of the light noun koto こと plus the verb aru ある, "to exist." Grammatically, koto is qualified by an adjective, such as relative clause, so it can abstractly refer to "a kind of something," and then the aru says that kind of something exists or happens.

The opposite is koto nai ことない: "doesn't exist," "doesn't happen," "never done it."

Depending on the adjective qualifying koto, the meaning changes.

koto nai ことない

In Japanese, koto nai ことない means someone has "never done something," or that something has "never happened," or that something "doesn't exist," or "doesn't happen." Variants include koto ga nai ことがない and koto wa nai ことはない.

Literally, it's the combination of the light noun koto こと plus the i い adjective nai ない, "non-existent." Grammatically, koto is qualified by an adjective, such as relative clause, so it can abstractly refer to "a kind of something," and then the nai says that kind of something doesn't exist or happen.

The opposite is koto aru ことある, "exists," "happens," "I've done it."

Depending on the adjective qualifying koto, the meaning changes.

yaru やる

In Japanese, yaru やる means a bunch of things. It can mean "to do" in a dozen ways. It can mean "to give [something]," or be used as an auxiliary verb to say "to do [something] for [someone]," just like ageru 上げる. It can mean "to work [a profession]." It can mean "to murder [someone]". And it can mean "to have sex with [someone]."

Depending on its meaning, it's sometimes written with different kanji.

guruguru-me ぐるぐる目

In Japanese, guruguru-me ぐるぐる目 means "spiraling eyes." In anime, this is those spiral-shaped eyes characters make when they're puzzled or dazed.

It comes from guruguru ぐるぐる, a mimetic word meaning "spiraling," and me 目, "eyes."

Sarazanmai さらざんまい

The anime Sarazanmai さらざんまい airing this season has so many puns and cultural Japanese references that I thought it'd be a good idea to list them here for further reference. This way you'll finally be able to unders... to understan...

...

Okay you won't be able to understand the anime, but you'll be able to understand the Japanese part of the anime, and that's one step, at least, so let's content ourselves with that. Anyway.

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS!!! The first part of the article assumes you have already watched at least the first episode. After that, there's a second spoiler warning, and sections spoiling each and every episode. So scroll with caution!

egao 笑顔

In Japanese, egao 笑顔 means "smiling face," or "smiling expression." That is, the face someone makes while they're smiling.

Anime: SSSS.Gridman (Episode 12)

Literally, it's warau 笑う, "to laugh," or "to smile," plus kao 顔, "face," which becomes gao because of rendaku.

Note, however, that the way the word is used in Japanese is closer to just "smile." For example:

• sono egao wo mamoritai
  その笑顔を守りたい
  [I] want to protect that "smiling face."
  [I] want to protect that smile.
• kanojo no egao
  彼女の笑顔
  Her smile.

negao 寝顔

In Japanese, negao 寝顔 means "sleeping face," or "sleeping expression." That is, the face someone makes while they're sleeping.

Anime: Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge 田中くんはいつもけだるげ (Episode 1)

Literally, it's neru 寝る, "to sleep," and kao 顔, "face," which becomes gao because of rendaku.