How to use も (mo) in Japanese?

も (transcribed mo) is a Japanese particle whose basic role is to set off a certain element in a sentence to indicate that is parallel to something else. English equivalents might be “too,” “also,” “as well,” or “either.”

It may sound simple, but when it comes to creating your own sentences, learners often have questions about exactly where to put も (transcribed mo), how to use it in negative sentences, how can you use it to connect multiple elements, and more. If those questions sound familiar, then this post is just for you!

In this post we’ll introduce you to this particle and how to use it in Japanese sentences, then direct you to some further resources where you can examine it in detail. Let’s get started!

The Japanese particle も (transcribed mo) should come directly after the element it marks as being similar to something else. Remember, the element is highlights will be the element that has the similarity, not the similarity itself. Let’s see some examples!

1. Similarity between subjects:

   parallel elementsも [mo]

   Yoko:

   わたしはラーメンが大好きです。

   Transcription: Watashi wa rāmen ga daisuki desu.

   Translation: I love ramen.

   John:

   ぼくもラーメンが大好きです。

   Transcription: Boku mo rāmen ga daisuki desu.

   Translation: I love ramen too.

   Now, in theory, John could have avoided using も in his sentence and said this instead:

   ぼくはラーメンが大好きです。

   Transcription: Boku wa rāmen ga daisuki desu.

   Translation: I love ramen.

   However, while this is grammatically correct, it’s odd because he doesn’t acknowledge the connection between his remark and Yoko’s. Using も is more natural!

2. Similarity between objects:

   parallel elementsも [mo]

   僕はラーメンが大好きです。僕はぎょうざも大好きです。

   Transcription: Boku wa rāmen ga daisuki desu. Boku wa gyōza mo daisuki desu.

   Translation: I love ramen. I also love gyoza.

In Japanese we often use も (transcribed mo) in negative sentences as well, but in this case a better translation will often be be “either” or “neither,” because you’re doubling down on something negative. For example:

In Japanese, you’ll often see the particle も (transcribed mo) used alongside both of the similar elements, in a situation where you might use “both…and…” or “neither… nor…” in English. For example:

Here’s what to remember from this basic introduction to the particle も (transcribed mo):

• We use も to draw attention to similar elements, much like you might use “too” or “also” in English. In a negative sentence you might translate it as “either” or “neither” instead.

• も always comes directly after the second parallel element.

• You can use …も...も after a number of similar elements in a list.

Meanwhile, use our activities practicing も to test your understanding of what we’ve covered in this post. Happy learning!