“Rain falls.” (雨が降る)
Why do we use が (ga) in the first sentence and を (o) in the second? This is the most important rule for understanding Japanese verbs: the difference between Intransitive and Transitive verbs.
が (ga) marks the Subject (the thing moving).
を (o) marks the Object (the thing being moved).
This article will simply explain how to choose between が and を with easy examples.
Usage Explanation ①: 「が」 (ga) – Subject (Natural/Intransitive)
が (ga) marks the Subject of the sentence. With Intransitive Verbs (自動詞 – jidoushi), the subject does the action *by itself*.
Use this when something happens naturally, accidentally, or spontaneously.
The pattern is: [Subject] が [Verb].
- Example 1: (Natural phenomenon)
- 雨（あめ）が 降（ふ）る。(Ame ga furu.)
Rain falls. (It rains.)
- Example 2: (It opens by itself)
- ドアが 開（あ）く。(Doa ga aku.)
The door opens.
- Example 3: (It drops)
- ペンが 落（お）ちる。(Pen ga ochiru.)
The pen drops/falls. (Accidentally)
Key Point: が (ga) focuses on the thing that is moving or changing. “Look! The rain ga falls!”
Usage Explanation ②: 「を」 (o) – Object (Action/Transitive)
を (o) marks the Object of the sentence. With Transitive Verbs (他動詞 – tadoushi), a person (subject) does an action *to* the object.
Use this when someone does something intentionally.
The pattern is: (Someone) が [Object] を [Verb].
- Example 1: (Making it happen – Causative idea)
- （映画（えいが）のシーンで）雨（あめ）を 降（ふ）らせる。(Ame o furaseru.)
(In a movie scene) Make it rain. (Make the rain fall.)
- Example 2: (I open it)
- 私（わたし）が、ドアを 開（あ）ける。(Watashi ga, doa o akeru.)
I open the door.
- Example 3: (I drop it)
- ペンを 落（お）とす。(Pen o otosu.)
I drop the pen. (I let it fall.)
Key Point: を (o) marks the target of your action. “I eat apple-o.” “I open door-o.”
Comparison: 「が」 vs 「を」
Let’s compare the pairs. This is the secret to Japanese verbs!
| Particle | Verb Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| が (ga) | Intransitive (自動詞) (Subject moves) |
Something happens (Naturally) | 電気が つく。 (Light turns on.) |
| を (o) | Transitive (他動詞) (Subject moves Object) |
Someone does something (Action) | 電気を つける。 (I turn on the light.) |
| が (ga) | Intransitive | It drops/falls | コップが 落ちる。 |
| を (o) | Transitive | (I) drop it | コップを 落とす。 |
Common Mistake Examples
Mistake 1: Mixing the particles
- Wrong:
- ドアを 開（あ）きました。(Doa o akimashita.)
- Correct:
- ドアが 開（あ）きました。(Doa ga akimashita.)
- Or Correct:
- ドアを 開（あ）けました。(Doa o akemashita.)
- Why?
- “Aku” (to open) is Intransitive, so it needs が. “Akeru” (to open something) is Transitive, so it needs を. You must match the particle to the verb!
Mistake 2: “Rain falls”
- Wrong:
- 雨（あめ）を 降（ふ）っています。(Ame o futte imasu.)
- Correct:
- 雨（あめ）が 降（ふ）っています。(Ame ga futte imasu.)
- Why?
- You cannot control the rain! Rain falls by itself. It is the subject. So you must use が (ga).
Practice Quiz
Let’s check your understanding! Choose the correct particle.
Q1.
あ、バス ( ) 来（き）ました。
Ah, the bus came (the bus arrived).
- が (ga)
- を (o)
Q2.
私は、毎日（まいにち）コーヒー ( ) 飲（の）みます。
I drink coffee every day.
- が (ga)
- を (o)
Q3.
風（かぜ）で、窓（まど）( ) 開（あ）きました。
The window opened because of the wind.
- が (ga)
- を (o)
Quiz Answers
Q1. (a) が (ga) – The bus moves by itself (arrives). It is the subject.
Q2. (b) を (o) – “Drink” is an action you do *to* the coffee.
Q3. (a) が (ga) – The window opened (naturally/by wind). If *you* opened it, it would be “Mado o akemashita.”
Summary: The Golden Rule
Ask yourself: “Does it happen naturally?” or “Does someone do it?”
- Natural / Spontaneous: Use [Thing] が + Intransitive Verb.
(Ex: The door opens. Rain falls.) - Action / Intentional: Use [Object] を + Transitive Verb.
(Ex: I open the door. I drink water.)
Matching the particle to the verb type is the secret to sounding fluent!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Q1: Why do we say 「雨が降る」 (Ame ga furu)?
- A1: Because “furu” (to fall) is an intransitive verb. The rain falls by itself. It is a natural phenomenon. So, “Rain” is the Subject, marked with が (ga).
- Q2: Why do we say 「水を飲む」 (Mizu o nomu)?
- A2: Because “nomu” (to drink) is a transitive verb. You (the subject) do the action *to* the water. The water is the Object, marked with を (o).
- Q3: What about 「好き」 (suki)? Is it ‘o’ or ‘ga’?
- A3: This is a special case! In English, “like” is a verb. But in Japanese, 好き (suki) is a na-adjective (meaning “is likeable”). So we usually use が (ga). Example: 「猫が好きです」 (I like cats / Cats are likeable).
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