The particle は (N wa): JLPT N5 Japanese grammar

What it means

は marks the topic of the sentence. The topic is what you are talking about. Everything after は is a comment on it. 私は先生です is close to "As for me, teacher". English just says "I am a teacher".

It is written with the hiragana は, which is "ha" in the kana chart. As a particle you say it "wa". Read it "wa" every time it follows a noun like this.

The topic is often the subject (the one who does the action), but not always. In 今日は暑いです (It is hot today), the topic is "today", and today is not doing anything. In 日本語は少しわかります (I understand a little Japanese), the topic is the language, and the person who understands is not said at all. Once the topic is clear, Japanese drops it. That is why you rarely hear 私は in a real conversation.

は has two more sides. It shows contrast: 肉は食べますが、魚は食べません, "I eat meat, but not fish". And it marks old information, the thing we already know about, while が marks the new part. A simple test: if the sentence answers "What about X?", use は. If it answers "Who?" or "Which one?", use が.

How to build it

Pattern	How it works
Noun + は + comment noun + wa + comment	The topic comes first. The rest of the sentence says something about it.
Time or place + は time or place + wa	Not only people. Times and places can be the topic too: 今日は, 東京は, 学校では (で + は).
A は～が、B は～ a wa ~ ga, b wa ~	Two は in one sentence often show contrast: this one, but not that one.
A は B が + adjective a wa b ga + adjective	は gives the whole, が points at the part: 田中さんは背が高いです (Tanaka-san is tall).

Examples

私は田中です。 watashi wa tanaka desu. I am Tanaka.
今日は暑いですね。 kyou wa atsui desu ne. It is hot today, isn't it?
職員室は二階です。 shokuinshitsu wa nikai desu. The staff room is on the second floor.
日本語は少しわかります。 nihongo wa sukoshi wakarimasu. I understand a little Japanese.
肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。 niku wa tabemasu ga, sakana wa tabemasen. I eat meat, but I do not eat fish.

How English says it

English has no topic marker. It has a subject, and almost every sentence needs one. Where Japanese says 今日は暑い (as for today, hot), English must find a subject: "It is hot today". That empty "it" puzzles many learners.

English can show a topic, but it is rare and marked: "As for me, ...", "Speaking of lunch, ...", or a word moved to the front: "Fish, I never eat." The everyday tool is simply the subject.

For contrast, English uses stress and small words like "but" and "though": "I eat MEAT, but not fish."

Why it can make English hard

Japanese drops the topic once it is clear. Many students drop the subject in English too: "Is delicious." "Went to Tokyo yesterday."
The topic is not always the subject. 今日は暑い becomes "Today is hot", which is fine. But 田中さんは背が高い, translated part by part, gives "Tanaka-san, the height is tall", which is not.
English needs an empty "it" or "there" when there is no real subject: "It is raining", "There is a bus at eight." Japanese has nothing like this, so these sentences can feel strange.
Many students first meet は in 私は学生です and link "は ... です" with "am" or "is". Some then add "am" to sentences that already have a verb: "I am go to school by bus."

Mistakes you will hear

Is very delicious. It is very delicious. おいしいです needs no subject in Japanese. English needs one, even a plain "it".
Tanaka-san, his height is tall. Tanaka-san is tall. 田中さんは背が高い, translated part by part. English uses one adjective.
I am go to school by bus. I go to school by bus. The student links は ... です with "am". "Go" is already the verb.
As for me, I like soccer. I like soccer. Correct, but heavy. "As for" marks a strong change of topic in English. It is not a normal way to start.

In the classroom

Teach は as "as for X" once, to show the idea. Then show how English turns the topic into a subject: 今日は暑い becomes "It is hot today".
Play "find the subject". Give Japanese sentences with no subject, like 昨日、東京に行きました. Students say who did it, in English: "I went to Tokyo yesterday."
For contrast, practise stress. "I like DOGS, but not CATS." Students clap on the stressed word, then make their own pairs.

Practice

Try each one, then open it to check.

1. Fill the gap: 私＿学生です。 (I am a student.)

Answer: は

I am the topic. The rest of the sentence is about me.
2. Fill the gap: 肉は食べますが、魚＿食べません。

Answer: は

Two は in one sentence show contrast: meat yes, fish no.
3. Choose は or が. A: 田中さんはどこですか。 B: 田中さん＿職員室です。

Answer: は

We already know we are talking about Tanaka-san. The new part is where she is, so the topic keeps は.
4. A student writes "Is raining today." Fix it.

Answer: It is raining today.

English needs a subject. For weather, the subject is "it".
5. Translate: 日本語は少しわかります。

Answer: I understand a little Japanese.

The topic is Japanese, but the English subject is "I". The Japanese does not say who, so the English must add it.