How to use the definite article in Japanese

How to use the definite article in Japanese

You want to learn how to use the definite article in Japanese? You've come to the right place! Scroll down and see the short Japanese lessons complete with useful examples. The apple, the house, the book... we'll teach you about the Japanese definite article in a simple, clear and enjoyable way.

The Japanese definite article

The definite article is what we call the word 'the' in English. The English definite article 'the' does not exist in Japanese. Unlike English, a noun on its own can be considered definite without the need for a specific word to show this.

Examples

hi
the day
sakana
the fish
mado
the window
otosan
the father
tatemono
the building
Free Japanese lesson

9 / 39

See another Japanese lesson here

Next Japanese Lesson
About Japanese

About Japanese

Japanese is spoken as a first language by 122 million people in Japan. If you are planning on doing some travelling, learning Japanese would be a great way to make the most of your trip.

Full PDF

Basic words and phrases in Japanese

Learn to get by in Japanese with these useful words and phrases. The phrases below will help you to greet people in Japanese, introduce yourself in Japanese and even hold a conversation in Japanese after you have met someone.

Genki ni šitēru ?
How's it going ?
Daijōbu des ka ?
Are you okay ?
Irasšai !
Welcome !
A dowmo
Hello !
Basic words and phrases in Japanese
Ohayougozaimas!
More Japanese phrases
TeachMe! Japanese

TeachMe! Japanese

Learn Japanese the easy, fun and fast way. Whether you're a complete beginner or you already know a few phrases in Japanese, you'll be amazed at just how quickly you learn!

Add to cartTell me more
Click me

You can learn Japanese in just 9 easy steps.

If you want to go from beginner to fluent in Japanese in a reasonable amount of time, you'll need a proven study method and daily dedication. Our nine-step Japanese learning guide will show you how to teach yourself Japanese in a structured,effective way. The steps below will take you through the progression of skills needed to learn to speak, read and understand Japanese.

Step 4 : The definite article in Japanese

The definite article is what we call the word the in English. The definite article is used with nouns in English (the book, the chair, the door etc.). Using the nouns šomotsu, isu and doa (book, chair, door) which you learned in Step 3, learn how to use each noun with the definite article. This is easy in Japanese, because in Japanese, there is no definite article. So the word šomotsu can mean book or the book, the word isu can mean chair or the chair and the word doa can mean door or the door. You can scroll to the top of this page to see a short lesson about the definite article in Japanese including useful examples. Once you have learned to use the definite article with the Japanese nouns šomotsu, isu and doa, you're ready to move on to Step 5 (the plural in Japanese).

On the Road! Japanese

On the Road! Japanese

Make the most of your trip to work by learning Japanese words and phrases on the way. With this audio CD, you'll learn 1000's of Japanese words & phrases in a very short time. The voice is in both Japanese and English. Just listen, absorb and enjoy! We are one of the few companies in the world offering a learn Japanese audio cd. If you have a CD player at home or in your car, this is the Japanese course for you.

Add to cartTell me more
We're there to help.

We're there to help.

Customer care is at the heart of our business. Whatever questions you may have, we'll always be there to help.

Committed to quality.

Committed to quality.

We strive to make this site error free in 16 languages. If you find an error, simply click the symbol and we'll update the site... and send you something for free as well.

Dedicated to your success.Dedicated to your success.

Dedicated to your success.

We've been helping people learn languages for more than 15 years. You'll be amazed how quickly you'll learn to get by in Japanese with courses from LinguaShop.