How to Use が (ga)
が (ga)
= is also a subject-marking particle, but it’s almost never dropped. It’s important for many reasons.
In the sentence we just used as an example, you may have noticed that が was also present! Let’s look at it again:
(私は)寿司が好きです。 ([watasahi wa]) sushi ga suki desu)
– i like sushi
Since we don’t need watashi wa because it’s clear I’m talking about myself, then sushi actually becomes the subject of this sentence. We use が here to emphasize that sushi is the thing we like.
If you’re going to use it with a verb, the verb needs to be in dictionary/infinite form and you need to add の (no). Here’s what that looks like:
運動するのが好きです。 (undou suru no ga suki desu.
= “I like exercising.”
の functions as a normalizer for the verb, turning “exercising” into a noun. が still plays its role of letting us know that exercising is what we like to do.
が also connects sentences to mean “but” or “also”.
食べ過ぎたが、まだ甘いものがほしいです。 (tabesugita ga, mada amaimono ga hoshii desu.) =“I ate too much, but I still want something sweet.”
Here, we have two が particles, but they play different roles. The first が connects two thoughts: “I ate too much. I still want something sweet.” It makes it sound more natural by adding “but” to connect them. The second が is the subject marker. It lets us know that what we want (hoshii) is something sweet to eat (amaimono).
Lastly, が is used to emphasize or correct who the subject of a sentence is. For instance, if someone asked my friend, “Are you Caitlin?”, I could correct them with が. Take a look:
知らない人（友達へ): ケイトリンですか。(Shiranaihito (tomodachi e): Keitorin desu ka)
私: 私がケイトリンです。 (Watashi: Watashi ga Keitorin desu)
Stranger: (to my friend): “Are you? Fcker?” Me: “I’m fcker”
が is one of the most versatile particles, but these are its main functions you’ll come across often.
