Language/Japanese/Grammar/Particles-も-and-しか

Japanese Grammar → Particles and Conjunctions → Particles も and しか

Introduction

Hello, and welcome back to our Complete 0 to A1 Japanese Course! In this lesson, we will focus on the particles も and しか, which are used to express similarity and restriction in Japanese sentences. Understanding their usage is crucial for conveying the intended meaning and nuance in conversation and writing. We will cover their basic meanings, how to use them in different sentence patterns, and some common examples. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use も and しか with confidence and accuracy. Let's get started!

Particles も and しか

Basic Meanings

Particles も and しか have somewhat opposite meanings. While both particles convey some form of quantity, も indicates inclusion or addition, while しか indicates exclusion or limitation. In other words, も emphasizes what things have in common, while しか emphasizes what things do not have in common.

Here are some examples:

• 私も日本語を勉強しています。
  Watashi mo Nihongo o benkyou shite imasu.
  I am studying Japanese too/as well.
• 田中さんはビールも日本酒も好きです。
  Tanaka-san wa biiru mo nihonshu mo suki desu.
  Tanaka likes both beer and sake.
• この店しかおいしいラーメンを出さない。
  Kono mise shika oishii ramen o dasanai.
  This restaurant serves only delicious ramen.
• 山田さんは日本語しか話せません。
  Yamada-san wa Nihongo shika hanasemasen.
  Yamada only speaks Japanese.

Usage

Particles も and しか can be used in a variety of sentence structures, depending on the intended meaning and context. Here are some common patterns:

Particle も

• Noun + も + Verb
  田中さんはピアノも弾けます。
  Tanaka-san wa piano mo hikemasu.
  Tanaka can play the piano as well.
• Verb + も + Noun
  日本語を勉強しています。漢字も覚えています。
  Nihongo o benkyou shite imasu. Kanji mo oboete imasu.
  I am studying Japanese. I also remember kanji.
• Noun + でも + Verb
  ネコでも飼いたいです。
  Neko demo kaitai desu.
  I want to have a pet, even if it's a cat.
• Verb + でも + Noun
  お茶でも飲みましょう。
  Ocha demo nomimashou.
  Let's have some tea, even if it's just tea.

Particle しか

• Noun + しか + Negative Verb
  この店しか行きたくない。
  Kono mise shika ikitakunai.
  I don't want to go to any restaurant except this one.
• Verb + しか + Negative Verb
  漢字しか読めません。
  Kanji shika yomemasen.
  I can only read kanji.
• Noun + しか + Negative Verb + も
  彼女しか眼中にありません。
  Kanojo shika ganchuu ni arimasen.
  I only have eyes for her.
• Verb + しか + Negative Verb + も
  テストに合格しかできませんでした。
  Tesuto ni goukaku shika dekimasen deshita.
  I can only pass the test.

More Examples

Let's see some more examples of how to use particles も and しか in context:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English Translation
今日も何か食べたい。	Kyou mo nanika tabetai.	I want to eat something today (as well).
あなたも好きです。	Anata mo suki desu.	I like you, too.
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