JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N5 grammar · Chapter 4

AはBが adjective

Describe a part or feature of the topic

You’ll be able to describe a particular part, feature, or aspect of a topic with は and が.

Illustration of the scene described by This dog has big ears.
Read it first

この犬いぬは耳みみが大おおきいです。

kono inu wa mimi ga ookii desu.

What do you think this sentence means?

This dog has big ears.

Why it means that

Describe one feature of a topic

は marks the overall topic, and が marks the part or feature directly described by the adjective. Here, the dog is the topic and its ears are what 大おおきい describes.

Natural English often uses “has” or “have” for this pattern, but Japanese is structured more like “As for A, B is...”.

Example

私わたしは髪かみが短みじかいです。

watashi wa kami ga mijikai desu.

I have short hair.

How it is built

Mark the topic with は and its feature with が

Put は after A, the overall topic. Put が after B, the part or aspect that the adjective directly describes, and then add the adjective. The feature can be a body part, one part of an object, or a broader characteristic of a place or thing.

A+は+B+が+Adjective+です
Examples

この家いえは庭にわが広ひろいです。

kono ie wa niwa ga hiroi desu.

This house has a large garden.

父ちちは手てが大おおきいです。

chichi wa te ga ookii desu.

My father has big hands.

この町まちは道みちが狭せまいです。

kono machi wa michi ga semai desu.

This town has narrow streets.

Compare

AはBが~ vs Aは~

Aは~ describes the whole subject directly. AはBが~ zooms in to describe just one specific part or feature.

  • AはBが~, describes a specific feature

    この犬いぬは耳みみが大おおきいです。

    kono inu wa mimi ga ookii desu.

    This dog has big ears.

    The dog itself might be small, but its ears specifically are large.

  • Aは~, describes the whole subject

    この犬いぬは大おおきいです。

    kono inu wa ookii desu.

    This dog is big.

    The adjective directly describes the entire dog as large.

Examples

この猫ねこは目めが青いあおいです。

kono neko wa me ga aoi desu.

This cat has blue eyes.

私わたしは髪かみが長いながいです。

watashi wa kami ga nagai desu.

I have long hair.

兄あには背せが高いたかいです。

ani wa se ga takai desu.

My older brother is tall.

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