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Nouns, Particles & Basic Sentences

Nouns, the は/が/を/の particles and basic XはYです sentences
は vs が の違い
wa vs ga distinction
wa / ga
は = topic/known; が = subject/new info or emphasis
～は～が — topic + subject
wa + ga construction
zou wa hana ga nagai
象は鼻が長い = (As for elephants), the nose is long
こそあど言葉
ko-so-a-do words
kore/sore/are/dore
Systematic this/that/which demonstrative series
ここ / そこ / あそこ
here / there / over there
koko / soko / asoko
Place demonstratives
こちら / そちら / あちら
this way / that way (polite)
kochira / sochira / achira
Polite direction/person demonstratives
だけ — only
dake — only
dake
一つだけ = only one
しか～ない — only (with negative)
shika...nai — only
shika nai
一つしかない = there's only one (nothing but)
など — etc.
nado — etc.
nado
本やノートなど = books, notebooks, etc.
ごろ / くらい — about
goro / kurai — about/approximately
goro / kurai
3時ごろ = around 3; 3000円くらい = about 3000 yen
助詞の省略（会話）
particle dropping (casual)
particle omission
Particles often dropped in casual speech