3.4 The Particles の (no) and も (mo)
This module will show you how to use the particles の (no) and も (mo) in a sentence.
The particle の (no) is called a ‘possessive particle’. It is used to indicate possession or to connect nouns or phrases together to show that the first modifies the second. It is similar to ‘of’ or ‘X’s’ (apostrophe before the ‘s’) in English.
For example:
- 私（わたし）の名前（なまえ） (watashi no namae) – My name
- ケビン（けびん）さんの（専攻）せんこう (Kebin-san no senkou) – Kevin’s major
- 日本語（にほんご）のクラス（くらす） (Nihongo no kurasu) – Japanese class
Exercise 1
The particle も (mo) is used to indicate that something else is also true or also the case. It can be translated as ‘also’ or ‘as well’ in English. It is also called an ‘addition particle’. To use it in a sentence, simply add it after the relevant word or phrase.
For example:
Model dialogue 1
Student A: 私（わたし）は三年生（さんねんせい）です。(Watashi wa san nensei desu.) – I’m a third-year student.
Student B: あ、私も三年生です！(A, watashi mo san nensei desu.) – Oh, I’m also a third-year student!
Model dialogue 2
Student A: 私はまんがが好（す）きです。(Watashi wa manga ga suki desu.) – I like Japanese comics.
Student B: そうですか。私もまんがが好きです！(Soudesuka. Watashi mo manga ga suki desu!) – Is that right? I like Japanese comics, too!
In these examples, the particle も is used instead of the particle は to convey inclusion or addition. When も follows 私 in a sentence, it signifies that the speaker, too, belongs to the category or agrees with the statement mentioned earlier. That is, using も after 私 can imply that the speaker is also a third-year student or that they, too, like Japanese comics. This particle effectively communicates the idea of ‘also’ or ‘as well’ in relation to the topic.
Here’s another handy tip for making your Japanese a bit more natural: you can switch the particle が for も when you want to add something else you like to your sentence.
Remember when we learned 私はトマトが好きです (Watashi wa tomato ga suki desu – I like tomatoes.) back in Module 3.3? If you want to say you also like tomato juice, just replace も with が like this:
トマトジュースも好きです。(Tomato juusu mo suki desu – I also like tomato juice.)
Here, there’s no need to repeat 私は in the follow-up sentence since it’s understood from the initial statement, 私はトマトが好きです.
Exercise 2
