This word tells you what the sentence is about. It is like saying 'as for' something.
Noun + はPrimary
This word tells you what the sentence is about. It is like saying 'as for' something.
私は学生です。
I am a student. (As for me, I am a student.)
昨日は雨でした。
It was rainy yesterday. (Speaking of yesterday, it was rain.)
この本はあまり面白くないですね。
This book isn't very interesting, is it?
ビールは飲みますが、ワインは飲みません。
I drink beer, but I don't drink wine.
宿題はもうやったよ。
I already did the homework.
Sometimes, 'は' makes you think about what is *not* said. It can hint at a difference. Like saying 'I drink beer' might mean 'but not other drinks.'
は is different from が. は tells you the main topic. This is often something you already know. が tells you who or what is doing the action. This is often new information. For example, 「田中さんは学生です」 means "Speaking of Tanaka, he is a student." 「田中さんが学生です」 means "Tanaka is the one who is the student."
Watch out: Do not use 'は' with question words like 'who' or 'what' if they are the subject. Always use 'が' instead. For example, say 'Who came?' with 'が', not 'は'.
Use this when you want to say, "Let's talk about this thing." It tells your listener what the sentence is about. This helps everyone understand the main idea.
More formal alternatives(1)
Less formal alternatives(1)
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