は is the topic marker. It is the first particle most learners meet at JLPT N5, and it tells the listener what the sentence is about: 「私は学生です。」 — As for me, I’m a student.
Two things surprise beginners. First, as a particle it is written with the hiragana は but pronounced wa. Second, は is not “is” and not “the subject.” It sets the topic, and then the rest of the sentence says something about that topic. Most of the time the topic and the subject are the same, which is why the difference takes a while to notice.
X は … — “as for X, …” Everything after は is a comment on X.
What does は mean?
は has two jobs at N5.
1. Marking the topic. は picks out something both speakers know about and says, “Now I’ll tell you about this.” English often has no word for it; sometimes “as for ~” or “speaking of ~” fits.
- 「今日は暑いです。」 — (As for today,) it’s hot.
- 「これは私の本です。」 — This is my book.
2. Showing contrast. When two things are compared, は marks each side: 「肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。」 — I eat meat, but not fish. Here は means “as for this one (unlike the other).”
A topic also carries over. Once you set 田中さんは, the next sentences can drop the topic entirely and the listener still knows who you mean.
How to form は
は follows a noun or noun phrase. That noun becomes the topic.
- 私は学生です — I’m a student
- 今日は暑いです — today is hot
- これは本です — this is a book
は replaces が and を. When the subject or object becomes the topic, は takes the place of the particle: 私が → 私は, 本を → 本は. You never write がは or をは.
は stacks on other particles. With に, で, から, and similar particles, は goes after them: 東京には (in Tokyo), 学校では (at school), 日本からは (from Japan). The original particle stays and は adds the topic or contrast.
When is は used?
- Introducing yourself and others: 「私はマリアです。」「こちらは山田さんです。」
- Describing things: 「この部屋は広いです。」
- Time and setting at the start of a sentence: 「今日は」「日曜日は」「日本では」 set the stage for what follows.
- Contrast: 「コーヒーは好きですが、紅茶は好きじゃありません。」
- Negative sentences: は often appears where a positive sentence had が or を, because a negative implies contrast: 「お酒は飲みません。」 — (Other drinks, sure, but) I don’t drink alcohol.
Register: は is used everywhere, in every level of politeness. In very casual speech it is sometimes dropped (私、学生), but in writing and polite speech keep it.
は example sentences
私は学生です。
I’m a student.
今日は暑いですね。
It’s hot today, isn’t it?
田中さんは会社員です。毎日電車で会社に行きます。
Tanaka is an office worker. He goes to work by train every day.
肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。
I eat meat, but I don’t eat fish.
東京には友達がたくさんいます。
I have lots of friends in Tokyo.
象は鼻が長いです。
Elephants have long trunks.
Example 3 shows the topic carrying over: the second sentence has no subject, but it is clearly about Tanaka. Example 6 is the famous sentence that shows は and が doing different jobs: 象は sets the topic (elephants), and 鼻が長い is the comment (the trunk is long).
Nuance of は
The part before は is treated as known; the important new information comes after it. In 「私は学生です。」, the listener already knows who “I” is; the news is 学生. That is why は-sentences feel like explanations or descriptions.
Because of this, a word that is itself the new information can’t take は. Question words are the clearest case: 「だれが来ましたか。」 never だれは, because “who” is exactly what you don’t know yet.
Contrast は is often softer than it looks. 「今日は忙しいです。」 can hint “today I’m busy (but maybe another day works),” which makes it a polite way to decline without saying no.
Pronunciation: the particle は is always read wa. Inside words it is ha: はな (flower), はじめまして. The same thing happens with へ (read “e” as a particle).
は vs が
が is the particle learners confuse with は most often, because both can follow the subject. The difference is where the focus lands.
A handy test: imagine the question the sentence answers. 「田中さんは何ですか。」 → 田中さんは先生です. 「だれが先生ですか。」 → 田中さんが先生です. For a longer walkthrough, see は vs が.
Common mistakes with は
Question words are new information, so they take が, not は.
は replaces を (and が). Only particles like に, で, and から stay in front of は.
Inside a clause that describes a noun (私が作った → ケーキ), the subject takes が. は belongs to the main sentence.
It sounds like “wa,” but the particle is always written は.
Is は on the JLPT?
Yes. は is the most basic N5 particle and appears in almost every sentence of the test. Grammar questions check it by making you choose between は, が, を, and も for a blank, especially after question words and in contrast sentences.
At N5 you should be able to:
- Use は for the topic and が after question words
- Recognise contrast は in 〜は…が、〜は… sentences
- Use stacked forms like には and では correctly
When a blank follows だれ, 何, or どれ, the answer is almost never は. When a sentence compares two things with が (but), expect は on both sides.
Practice questions for は
Show answer
私はアンナです。学生です。 — I’m Anna. I’m a student.
Show answer
犬は好きですが、猫は好きじゃありません。 — I like dogs, but I don’t like cats.
Show answer
どれがあなたのかばんですか。 — Which one is your bag? (A question word takes が.)
Show answer
学校では日本語を話します。 — At school, I speak Japanese.
Learning path for は
Related grammar to review next
- が — the subject particle; knowing when not to use は starts here.
- は vs が — a focused guide to choosing between the two.
- も — “also,” which replaces は in the same position.
- を — the object particle that は replaces when the object becomes the topic.
- は〜が…は — contrast は in full sentences at N4.
Learn は with Hane
Hane has you choose between は, が, and も in short sentences, with instant feedback on why one fits. Start practising with Hane.
FAQ about は
What does は (wa) mean in Japanese?
は (wa) means “topic marker”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. は has two jobs at N5.
How do you form は (wa)?
は follows a noun or noun phrase. That noun becomes the topic. Noun (topic)は+comment 私 + は + 学生です - 私は学生です — I’m a student - 今日は暑いです — today is hot - これは本です — this is a book は replaces が and を.
What is the difference between は and が?
は: topic: focus on what comes after. が: subject: focus on what comes before.
What is an example sentence with は (wa)?
私は学生です。 — I’m a student.