はTopic marker
は marks the person, thing, time, place, or other frame that the rest of the sentence comments on. The topic is usually already identifiable or familiar in the conversation.
Topic first, comment second
Think of the topic as setting the question “What are we talking about?” The comment then gives information about that topic. English does not always mark this division explicitly, so a natural translation often looks like an ordinary subject sentence.
Basic topics
The topic may be a person, an established object, or a broad time frame.
この本は私が昨日買いました。
I bought this book yesterday.
AnalyzeLiterally: As for this book, I bought it yesterday.
The book is the topic, while the person performing the action is separately marked by が. This shows that a topic is not necessarily the grammatical subject.
日曜日は図書館が休みです。
The library is closed on Sundays.
AnalyzeLiterally: As for Sundays, the library is closed.
The time expression sets the frame for the whole statement.
兄と私は同じ会社で働いています。
My older brother and I work at the same company.
AnalyzeA complete noun phrase, including nouns joined by と, can be marked as the topic.
The topic can have different roles
は tells you what the sentence is about, but it does not by itself say whether that topic would otherwise be the subject, object, location, or another part of the sentence. The meaning of the comment and the surrounding context reveal that relationship.
What happens to other particles
Swipe sideways to compare every column.
| Original role | Topic pattern | Practical rule |
|---|---|---|
| Subject with が | Noun + は | Replace が with は. |
| Object with を | Noun + は | Replace を with は. |
| Location, direction, partner, or range | には・へは・では・とは・からは・までは | Keep the first particle when its meaning is needed, then add は. |
This is not a rule that allows は after every particle. In particular, basic topic marking does not use がは or をは.
A place as the frame
日本では四月に学校が始まります。
In Japan, the school year begins in April.
Analyzeで keeps its location meaning, and は makes Japan the broad frame for the statement.
Once the topic is clear
The second speaker does not repeat the movie because the topic is already obvious. This kind of omission is especially common in conversation.
Do not use the topic marker for an unknown answer
A basic topic is normally something identifiable. If the unknown person itself is the information being requested, mark the question word with が, not the neutral topic marker.
だれが来ましたか。
Who came?
AnalyzeThe identity of the person is unknown and is the focus of the question, so this is the subject-marker pattern rather than the topic use taught on this page.
More examples
この店は九時に開きます。
This shop opens at nine.
Analyze会議は三時に始まります。
The meeting starts at three.
Analyze来週は出張があります。
There is a business trip next week.
AnalyzeNext week is the time frame, not the subject of the event.
その写真は姉が撮りました。
My older sister took that photograph.
AnalyzeLiterally: As for that photograph, my older sister took it.
この町では夏に祭りがあります。
This town has a festival in summer.
AnalyzeThe town is presented as the place within which the statement applies.