subject marker

Ga marks the grammatical subject, often introducing new information or answering a question word. Question words like dare and nani take ga, never wa, when they are the subject. Ga is also used with verbs of existence and with likes and abilities.

Examples

• 雨あめが降ふっています。

  Ame ga futte imasu.

  It is raining.

• だれが来きましたか。

  Dare ga kimashita ka.

  Who came?

Vocabulary in these examples

• 雨 rain
• 降る to fall (rain, snow)
• いる to exist (animate); to be
• 来る to come

Related patterns · Particles

• 〜は topic marker (as for ...)
• 〜を direct object marker
• 〜に（時間） at / on (a specific time)
• 〜に（行き先・相手） to (a destination or a person)
• 〜へ toward, to (direction)
• 〜で（場所） at / in (place where an action happens)