How to form a description in Japanese using both は (wa) and が (ga)?

In Japanese, we often use は (transcribed wa) and が (transcribed ga) together to provide descriptive information about people, animals, and things. We do this using the sentence pattern below:

There are a lot of situations when you can use this structure: to introduce yourself, to describe a person or animal, to talk about places you’ve visited, and more. Though it can take some practice to perfectly understand when to use は (transcribed wa) and が (transcribed ga) in general, mastering this simple equation will help you get started. Let’s have a closer look!

In Japanese, は (transcribed wa) and が (transcribed ga) are particles that mark features of the noun that comes directly before them.

• The particle は (transcribed wa) follows the topic → Usually, this is one individual chosen from a group already under discussion.

• The particle が (transcribed ga) follows the subject of the sentence → This is the noun that directly interacts with the verb, usually the noun that does the action.

Let’s see how that applies in a は (transcribed wa) + が (ga) description:

• は (transcribed wa) follows the noun you’re really talking about.

• が (transcribed ga)follows some property of the main noun, and the adjective directly describes this property noun

Think of this like how you use your camera when you take pictures.

• First, you aim the camera at the person or object you want to capture, right? This is the “main noun”: the topic.

• Then you focus the camera on the specific part or aspect of them because you are interested in it, like the face. This is the “feature noun”: the subject. This is the noun the adjective directly describes.

Let’s look at some situations where you will often use は (transcribed wa) + が (transcribed ga) descriptions in Japanese.

You can sometimes use a verb after が (transcribed ga) in a は (transcribed wa) + が (transcribed ga) description, rather than an adjective. You’ll often see this in sentences expressing…

• Something you want to do or can do:

  Person

  

  は

  Transcription: wa

  

  Object of a verb

  

  が

  Transcription: ga

  

  Verb

  私は水が飲みたい。

  Transcription: Watashi wa mizu ga nomitai.

  Translation: I want to drink water.

  私は日本語が話せます。

  Transcription: Watashi wa nihongo ga hanasemasu.

  Translation: I can speak Japanese.

  Check out our post on expressing desire and on potential verbs to learn the verb forms you’ll need for these expressions!

• To say something exists using たくさんいます (transcribed takusan imasu, meaning “a lot exist”):

  ブラジルにはイルカが沢山います。

  Transcription: Burajiru ni wa iruka ga takusan imasu.

  Translation: There are a lot of dolphins in Brazil.

  Literally: lit. (Regarding) Brazil, dolphins a lot exist.

• When the topic is the object of a verb:

  ケーキはお父さんが食べました。

  Transcription: Kēki wa otōsan ga tabemashita.

  Translation: My dad ate the cake.

  Literally: lit. (Regarding) the cake, my father ate (it).

  This places more emphasis on お父さん than the default way to express the sentence: お父さんはケーキを食べました (transcribed otōsan wa kēki o tabemashita, meaning “My father ate the cake.”)

Here’s what we covered in this post!

• A basic description using は (transcribed wa) + が (transcribed ga) has this structure:

  Topic of description

  

  は

  Transcription: wa

  

  Feature of topic

  

  が

  Transcription: ga

  

  Description of feature

• The pattern can be used for speaking about:

  • physical characteristics

  • skills and abilities

  • likes and dislikes

• There are a few cases where you might use a verb after が (transcribed ga) instead of an adjective.

Remember that, and you’ll spot this pattern everywhere! Enjoy the fun は (transcribed wa) + が (transcribed ga) description exercises we prepared for you!