Japanese particles are short function words like は transcribed wa or も transcribed mo that are used to mark the role, significance, or function of another, more substantial word. Particles are essential to making yourself understood in Japanese. However, in the right circumstances, certain particles can be dropped, without changing the meaning of a sentence. In formal grammar, dropping particles is called particle ellipsis.
Japanese learners should be prepared to encounter particle ellipsis, as you’ll certainly hear people drop particles when speaking. But the rules can get a bit tricky! Some particles can never be dropped, while others can be dropped only in certain types of sentences. With others, it may be more about the level of formality.
In this article, you’ll find out which particles you can skip and which you can’t. Knowing patterns in ellipses of particles will help you speak more natural-sounding Japanese. It may seem confusing but there’s no need to fret, we will be covering all of those topics here. Let’s begin!
What is particle ellipsis in Japanese?
Particle ellipsis occurs when a particle is skipped or dropped from a sentence, but there is no change in that sentence's basic meaning. We already saw an example above in which the case particles は transcribed wa and を transcribed o were omitted. Here is another example:
While particle ellipsis does not alter the basic meaning of a sentence, dropping particles can signal a difference in style and formality.
When to omit particles in Japanese?
Japanese speakers tend to skip particles more when they are speaking more casually, in either spoken or written language.
Just to give you an idea of the level of formality we’re talking about, think about when you might say “What’s up?” instead of “What is up?” or “Not much” instead of “Not much has changed.” These are the same contexts where it might sound more natural to drop particles in Japanese, especially when you want to sound friendlier. Omitting particles also allows the speaker’s tone to come off as softer in situations such as where you’re requesting something.
Which particles can you drop in Japanese?
As a basic guideline, a Japanese particle can be dropped if dropping it doesn’t lead to a difference in meaning. This means that there are some particles that can be omitted, while others cannot. Let’s look at some examples!
| Particles that CAN be dropped | ||
|---|---|---|
は transcribed wa | お父さんはお元気ですか。 Transcription: Otōsan wa ogenki desu ka. Translation: Is your father doing well? | お父さんお元気ですか。 Transcription: Otōsan ogenki desu ka. Translation: Is your father doing well? |
それは何ですか。 Transcription: Sore wa nan desu ka. Translation: What is that? | それ何ですか。 Transcription: Sore nan desu ka. Translation: What is that? | |
を transcribed o | 晩ご飯は肉を食べよう。 Transcription: Bangohan wa niku o tabeyō. Translation: Let’s eat meat for dinner. | 晩ご飯は肉食べよう。 Transcription: Bangohan wa niku tabeyō. Translation: Let’s eat meat for dinner. |
これを見てください。 Transcription: Kore o mite kudasai. Translation: Please look at this. | これ見てください。 Transcription: Kore mite kudasai. Translation: Please look at this. | |
が transcribed ga | 秋田犬が飼いたい。 Transcription: Akitainu ga kaitai. Translation: I want to own an Akita dog. | 秋田犬飼いたい。 Transcription: Akitainu kaitai. Translation: I want to own an Akita dog. |
に transcribed ni or へ transcribed e | 病院へ行ってきた。 Transcription: Byōin e ittekita. Translation: I went to the hospital (and came back). | 病院行ってきた。 Transcription: Byōin ittekita. Translation: I went to the hospital (and came back). |
何時にうちに帰る？ Transcription: Nanji ni uchi ni kaeru? Translation: What time do you go home? | 何時にうち帰る？ Transcription: Nanji ni uchi kaeru? Translation: What time do you go home? | |
に transcribed ni | そこに置いといてください。 Transcription: Soko ni oitoite kudasai. Translation: Please leave (it) there. | そこ置いといてください。 Transcription: Soko oitoite kudasai. Translation: Please leave (it) there. |
か transcribed ka | 一緒に行きませんか。 Transcription: Issho ni ikimasen ka. Translation: Why don’t we go together? | 一緒に行きません Transcription: Issho ni ikimasen? Translation: Why don’t we go together? |
Which particles cannot be dropped?
Now let’s look at the particles that cannot be omitted. In summary, all particles not listed above cannot be omitted, but it’s important to see specifically which particles can never be skipped in sentences!
| Particles that CANNOT be dropped | ||
|---|---|---|
に transcribed ni | １０時に駅前で待ち合わせをする。 Transcription: Jūji ni ekimae de machiawase o suru. Translation: I meet up with a friend in front of the station at 10 o’ clock. | ❌ １０時駅前で待ち合わせをする。 Transcription: Jūji ekimae de machiawase o suru. |
で transcribed de | 海辺で結婚式を挙げる。 Transcription: Umibe de kekkonshiki o ageru. Translation: We’ll have a wedding on the beach. | ❌海辺結婚式を挙げる。 Transcription: Umibe kekkonshiki o ageru. |
で transcribed de | スコップで穴を掘る。 Transcription: Sukkopu de ana o horu. Translation: I dig a hole with a shovel. | ❌ スコップ穴を掘る。 Transcription: Sukoppu ana o horu. |
と transcribed to | 友達と遊びに行く。 Transcription: Tomodachi to asobi ni iku. Translation: I’m going out to play with a friend. | ❌ 友達遊びに行く。 Transcription: Tomodachi asobi ni iku. |
の transcribed no | 私の猫を見ませんでしたか。 Transcription: Watashi no neko o mimasendeshita ka. Translation: Didn’t you see my cat? | ❌ 私猫を見ませんでしたか。 Transcription: Watashi neko o mimasendeshita ka. |
…から … まで | 会議は１時から２時までの予定です。 Transcription: Kaigi wa ichiji kara niji made no yotei desu. Translation: The meeting is scheduled to be between 1 and 2 o'clock. | ❌ 会議は１時２時の予定です。 Transcription: Kaigi wa ichiji niji no yotei desu. |
Focus particles | 佐藤さんだけ授業を休みました。 Transcription: Satō san dake jugyō o yasumimashita. Translation: Only Ms. Sato missed class. | ❌ 佐藤さん授業を休みました。 Transcription: Satō san jugyō o yasumimashita. |
Why can’t you omit these particles?
The particles in the chart above shouldn’t be omitted because doing so is very likely to lead to ambiguity or confusion.
Let’s look at a couple examples. Imagine that you could omit the particles in the table above. Now someone asks you one of the questions in the column on the left. How could you determine which of the sentences on the right was intended?
| With Particle Ellipsis | “Possible” intended sentence |
|---|---|
どこ食べようか。 Transcription: Doko tabeyō ka. Translation: ??? | どこで食べようか。 Transcription: Doko de tabeyō ka. Translation: Where shall we eat? |
どこを食べようか Transcription: doko o tabeyō ka. Translation: Which part (of the food) shall we eat? | |
だれ食べようか。 Transcription: Dare tabeyō ka. Translation: ??? | だれと食べようか。 Transcription: Dare to tabeyō ka. Translation: With whom shall we eat? |
だれを食べようか Transcription: dare o tabeyō ka Translation: Who shall we eat? 😱 |
Luckily, in real Japanese, the particles と transcribed to and で transcribed de cannot be dropped, and so there is no ambiguity: we’ll all be cannibals tonight!
So why can we drop the other particles? Because there isn’t the same sort of ambiguity between the particles in the first list. Compare the “ambiguous” cases above with the ones below:
| With Particle Ellipsis | Intended sentence |
|---|---|
どこ行こうか。 Transcription: Doko ikō ka. Translation: Where shall we go? | どこに行こうか。 Transcription: Doko ni ikō ka. Translation: Where shall we go? |
何食べようか。 Transcription: Nani tabeyō ka. Translation: What shall we eat? | 何を食べようか。 Transcription: Nani o tabeyō ka. Translation: What shall we eat? |
To sum up
Particles determine the function of the word they are attached to, and that’s what allows sentences to make sense even when the word order is changed. While figuring out when and how to omit particles naturally in Japanese will certainly take some practice, knowing the basic rules will greatly help you to avoid confusion or miscommunication.
Here’s what you should remember from this post:
Particles are mostly omitted in casual language, as a way to sound more friendly.
Some particles are never omitted, while others can be omitted in most contexts.
Ready to practice what you’ve learned? Try out these particle ellipsis exercises to test your skills! Happy learning!
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