The particle と

N と N to And; with

と (to) joins nouns into a full list, "A and B". After a person, it means "with": the friend you go out with, the colleague you talk with.

Level: JLPT N5, beginner
Type: Particles
English links: and in lists, with for company, commas in lists, subject pronouns

What it means

と has two everyday jobs. Between two nouns it means "and": パンと牛乳 is "bread and milk". After a person it means "with": 友達と行きます is "I go with a friend".

As "and", と joins nouns only. It does not join verbs, adjectives or whole sentences. Japanese uses other tools for those, like the te-form. So と is a much smaller word than English "and".

When と lists things, the list is complete. パンと牛乳を買いました means you bought bread and milk, and nothing else worth saying. For a list of examples, Japanese uses や instead.

For "with", you can add 一緒に (together): 家族と一緒に. It makes the "together" idea stronger, but plain と is enough.

How to build it

Pattern	How it works
Noun + と + noun noun + to + noun	Joins nouns into a full list. With three or more, と goes after each one but the last: パンと牛乳と卵.
Person + と + verb person + to + verb	"With" a person: 友達と話します (I talk with a friend).
Person + と一緒に + verb person + to issho ni + verb	"Together with" a person. A little stronger than plain と.

Examples

パンと牛乳を買いました。 pan to gyuunyuu o kaimashita. I bought bread and milk.
田中先生と山田先生は英語の先生です。 tanaka-sensei to yamada-sensei wa eigo no sensei desu. Tanaka-sensei and Yamada-sensei are English teachers.
友達と映画を見ました。 tomodachi to eiga o mimashita. I watched a film with a friend.
昼休みに生徒と話します。 hiruyasumi ni seito to hanashimasu. I talk with students at lunchtime.
週末、家族と一緒に京都へ行きます。 shuumatsu, kazoku to issho ni kyouto e ikimasu. This weekend I'm going to Kyoto with my family.

How English says it

English splits と into two words. "And" joins things: "bread and milk". "With" shows company: "I went with my friend". Japanese uses the same particle for both, so students must choose.

English "and" is also a much bigger word. It joins verbs ("I ate and slept"), adjectives ("cold and wet") and whole sentences. In a long list, English uses commas and puts "and" only before the last item: "bread, milk and eggs".

Why it can make English hard

One particle covers "and" and "with", so some students pick the wrong one. You will often hear "I went to the park and my friend" for 友達と公園に行きました.
Japanese repeats と in a list. Students carry this into English and say "and" between every item, with no commas.
In Japanese it is natural to say 私と健 (me and Ken), with yourself first. English puts the other person first: "Ken and I".

Mistakes you will hear

I went shopping and my mother. I went shopping with my mother. 母と買い物に行きました. Here と means "with", not "and".
I like apple and banana and orange. I like apples, bananas and oranges. Japanese repeats と. English uses commas and one "and". It also needs plurals for things you like in general.
I and Ken played soccer. Ken and I played soccer. 私と健 puts the speaker first. English puts "I" last, as a matter of politeness.

In the classroom

Draw two stick figures going to the park. Write two sentences under the same picture: "Ken and Yui went to the park" and "Ken went to the park with Yui". Ask which person is the main one in each.
Play a list game. One student says "In my bag I have a pen." The next adds an item: "a pen and a book", then "a pen, a book and a phone". Point at the commas each time.
When a student says "I and ...", hold up a hand and swap two fingers. It becomes a quick signal to put "I" last.

Practice

Try each one, then open it to check.

1. Fill the gap: 姉＿買い物に行きました。 (I went shopping with my older sister.)

Answer: と

と after a person means "with".
2. Translate: ペンとノートを持ってきてください。

Answer: Please bring a pen and a notebook.

と joins the two nouns. English also needs "a" before each one.
3. A student writes "I played tennis and Yuki." Fix it.

Answer: I played tennis with Yuki.

ゆきとテニスをしました. と here means "with", so English needs "with".
4. A student writes "My family is father and mother and sister and me." Fix it.

Answer: There are four people in my family: my father, my mother, my sister and me.

Use commas and one "and". English also needs "my" before each family word.