～や～ など
List examples: A, B, and so on
You’ll be able to list a couple of examples while implying that there are others.
スーパーでパンや牛乳などを買います。
suupaa de pan ya gyuunyuu nado o kaimasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
I buy things like bread and milk at the supermarket.
List a few examples without naming everything
Use や to connect example nouns and など to mean “things such as…” The list is intentionally incomplete.
机の上に本やノートなどがあります。
tsukue no ue ni hon ya nooto nado ga arimasu.
There are things such as books and notebooks on the desk.
Noun や Noun (など)
Put や between example items. Add など after the list when you want to make “and so on” explicit.
スーパーで野菜や果物を買いました。
suupaa de yasai ya kudamono o kaimashita.
I bought vegetables, fruit, and things like that at the supermarket.
休みの日は映画やドラマなどを見ます。
yasumi no hi wa eiga ya dorama nado o mimasu.
On days off I watch movies, dramas, and so on.
京都や奈良などに行きました。
kyouto ya nara nado ni ikimashita.
I went to places such as Kyoto and Nara.
と vs や
と lists everything there is. や lists a couple of examples and leaves the rest unsaid, often closing with など.
や, and so on
スーパーで野菜や果物を買いました。
suupaa de yasai ya kudamono o kaimashita.
I bought vegetables, fruit and so on at the supermarket.
Other things were bought too.
と, exactly these
スーパーで野菜と果物を買いました。
suupaa de yasai to kudamono o kaimashita.
I bought vegetables and fruit at the supermarket.
Those two and nothing else.
スーパーでパンや牛乳などを買います。
suupaa de pan ya gyuunyuu nado o kaimasu.
I buy things like bread and milk at the supermarket.
机の上に本やノートなどがあります。
tsukue no ue ni hon ya nooto nado ga arimasu.
There are things such as books and notebooks on the desk.
休みの日は映画やドラマなどを見ます。
yasumi no hi wa eiga ya dorama nado o mimasu.
On my days off, I watch things like movies and dramas.
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