ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the core material of basic particles which students would expect to encounter in their first year of learning Japanese. Grammar points are followed by contextualized examples and exercises which allow students to reinforce and consolidate their learning. Particles attach to a noun phrase or clause and carry out various functions. They are grouped into the following five types: structure particles, meaning-oriented particles, discourse particles, connective particles, and conversation particles. One do not need to learn the terminology, but it is a good idea to be aware of the differences between these groups. Some particles are multifunctional and appear in more than one group. As long as particles are moved with the noun phrases they mark, word order in Japanese is fairly flexible. However, if they switch just the particles, they can end up with unintended meanings.
