The parallel markers か[ka](or) and とか[toka] can link all kinds of phrases. We’ll talk a bit more about these in the sections below.
Japanese Articles
How to say “and” in Japanese: と (to), や (ya), and other parallel markers
By: Mayumi Ito Mon Jun 08 2026
The Japanese equivalents of words like “and” and “or” are the parallel markers or 並列助詞[heiretsu joshi]. These words include と[to], や[ya], か[ka], に[ni], and とか[toka]. However, unlike the English words “and” and “or,” parallel markers are only used to link nouns, as in “apples and oranges” or “coffee or tea.” Here’s a quick summary:
Particle | Use for… | Translation |
|---|---|---|
と[to] | an exhaustive list | (only) X and Y |
や[ya] | a list of examples | X and Y (and other things) |
か[ka] | “or”, all the options, one is chosen | (only) X or Y |
に[ni] | combinations of things | X plus Y / X with Y / … |
とか[toka] | a casual equivalent of や[ya] | X and Y (and other things), colloquial |
Want to learn more about how and when to use each of these parallel markers? Read on! In this article we’ll discuss when to use each as well as where to position them in a sentence. Let’s get started!
What are parallel markers in Japanese?
In Japanese, parallel markers are words we use to make lists, like you might use “and” and “or” in English. However, unlike “and” and “or,” parallel markers only make lists of , , or .
noun phraseparallel marker
紅茶とクッキはいかがですか。
Kōcha to kukkii wa ikaga desu ka.
How about tea and some cookies?
When connecting other types of words and phrases, like or , we use other kinds of linkers.
adjectivelinker
サラはきれいでやさしい。
Sara wa kireide yasashii.
Sara is pretty and kind.
→ Check out our post on how to connect adjectives in Japanese to learn more about linking descriptions.
verb phraselinker
パーティーで食べたり、踊ったりしました。
Pātii de tabetari, odottari shimashita.
At the party, we ate and danced (and more).
→ Check out our post on linking with 〜たり[tari] to learn more about this form of linking!
clauselinker
歯をみがいて寝た。
Ha o migaite neta.
I brushed my teeth and went to bed.
→ Check out our post on the “te-form” to learn more about this form of linking!
We also don’t use parallel markers to connect “predicate nouns,” (nouns that, in English, would follow a verb like “to be”) because these are technically connected clauses in Japanese.
clauselinker
彼は医師で詩人だ。
Kare wa ishi de shijin da.
He is a doctor and a poet.
lit. He is a doctor and (he) is a poet.
Exception!
What are the most important parallel markers in Japanese?
The most important parallel markers in Japanese are と[to], や[ya], か[ka], に[ni], and とか[toka]. Let’s see how each one works!
と [to]
The particle と[to] means “and” in a context where you’re listing the full list of things that are relevant, rather than just giving some examples. Let’s see some examples.
紅茶とクッキーはいかがですか。
Kōcha to kukkii wa ikaga desu ka.
How about tea and some cookies?
→ Only those things are being offered.
今日、ジョンさんとようこさんが家に来ます。
Kyō, Jon san to Yōko san ga uchi ni kimasu.
John and Yoko are coming to my house today.
→ They are the only guests.
宝くじが当たったら、ヨットとスポーツカーを買いたいです。
Takarakuji ga atattara, yotto to supōtsukā o kaitai desu.
If I win the lottery, I want to buy a sailboat and a sports car.
→ Those are the only two things I want to do.
In a sentence, と[to] will be placed between every linked pair of nouns in a sentence, and sometimes after the last noun as well as in:
✅ X と Y と Z
❌ X, Y, と Z
✅ X と Y と Z と
Remember that, though you can make an English list using the word “and” only once in a list, this is not allowed in Japanese!
パスタとサラダとコーヒー(と)を注文しました。
Pasuta to sarada to kōhii (to) o chūmon shimashita.
I ordered pasta, salad, and coffee.
や [ya]
The particle や[ya] means “and,” in a context where you’re listing two or more nouns as examples. In other words, や creates a partial list as in “X, Y, and others” and “things like X and Y.”
Here are some examples of when you might use this parallel marker in Japanese. Compare the meanings here to the ones in the previous section!
コーヒーや紅茶はいかがですか。
Kōhii ya kōcha wa ikaga desu ka.
How about coffee and tea (and other beverages)?
→ You could probably have a glass of water or some lemonade too, if you’d rather.
今日、ジョンさんやようこさんが家に来ます。
Kyō, Jon san ya Yōko san ga uchi ni kimasu.
John and Yoko (among others) are coming to my house today.
→ John and Yoko are not the only guests.
宝くじが当たったら、ヨットやスポーツカーを買いたいです。
Takarakuji ga atattara, yotto ya supōtsukā o kaitai desu.
If I win the lottery, I want to buy a sailboat and a sports car (but not just those).
→ Perhaps the sailboat and the sports car will be my first two purchases, but I’m not going to stop there.
パーティーで、天ぷらやすしを食べました。
Pātii de, tenpura ya sushi o tabemashita.
At the party, I ate tempura and sushi (and other things).
→ For right now, telling you that I ate tempura and sushi are most relevant.
The particle や[ya] is generally used between every pair of elements it links, but unlike と[to] it never appears at the end:
✅ X や Y や Z
❌ X や Y や Z や
In long lists, you can sometimes use a comma instead of one of the instances of や[ya]. However, this doesn’t follow the English pattern! In Japanese we keep the first や and omit the later ones.
✅ パリやロンドン、ローマなど
Pari ya Rondon, Rōma nado
Paris, London, and Rome (and so on)
Tip
The parallel marker や[ya] is often used along with another particle など[nado](and so on) in the structure below:
X
や[ya]
Y
など[nado]
ヨーロッパではパリやロンドンなどに行きたいです。
Yōroppa de wa Pari ya Rondon nado ni ikitai desu.
In Europe, I want to visit places such as Paris and London (and so on).
Using など[nado] emphasizes the fact that more options are possible, but doesn’t significantly change the translation.
か [ka]
The parallel particle か[ka] means “or” in a context where you are listing all the options and only one can be chosen, much like “(either) X or Y” in English.
コーヒーか紅茶はいかがですか。
Cōhii ka kōcha wa ikaga desu ka.
How about coffee or tea?
→ Those are the only options.
今日、ジョンさんかようこさんが家に来ます。
Kyō, Jon san ka Yōko san ga uchi ni kimasu.
John or Yoko is coming to my house today.
→ Only one guest is coming, and it must be one of them.
宝くじが当たったら、ヨットかスポーツカーを買いたいです。
Takarakuji ga atattara, yotto ka supōtsukā o kaitai desu.
If I win the lottery, I want to buy a sailboat or a sports car.
→ I would not buy both, but I would buy one.
When linking nouns, か[ka] will fall between each pair of items in the list, and can optionally come at the end of the list as well.
✅ X か Y か Z
✅ X か Y か Z か
Important
Unlike the other parallel markers discussed here, か[ka] can link all kinds of phrases, not just nouns. For example:
nounparallel marker
紅茶か緑茶を飲みたい。
Kōcha ka ryokucha o nomitai.
I’d like to drink black tea or green tea.
verbparallel marker
生きるか死ぬか、それが問題だ。
Ikiru ka shinu ka, sore ga mondai da.
To be or not to be, that is the question.
lit. To live or to die…
adjectiveparallel marker
おいしいかまずいか、食べてみなければわからない。
Oishii ka mazui ka, tabete minakereba wakaranai.
You would not know whether it’s tasty or awful unless you try it.
パリに行くかローマに行くか、まだ決めていない。
Pari ni iku ka Rōma ni iku ka, mada kimete inai.
I haven’t decided whether I’d like to go to Paris or I’d like to go to Rome.
Notice, though, that when か[ka] connects elements besides nouns, though, you’ll always need to use か after each connected element. We don’t drop the one at the end.
に [ni]
The particle に[ni] has a wide range of functions in Japanese, but as a parallel marker, it is used to discuss combinations. There are two main situations where you might use this as your parallel marker:
You are listing things being added to each other, much like you might use “plus…” or “and then…” in English.
カレーライスの材料？えーっと、玉ねぎに人参にじゃがいもに・・・肉にりんごに・・・、あ、カレールー。
Karēraisu no zairyō? Ētto, tamanegi ni ninjin ni jagaimo ni… niku ni ringo ni… a, karērū.
Ingredients for curry and rice? Let’s see, onions and carrots and potatoes and…meat and apples and…oh, the curry mix.
Though the distinction between に[ni] and と[to] is a little hard to capture in English, using に[ni] sounds more like the items you’re listing are being combined together, rather than simply being listed. Think of using に[ni] as adding items into an imaginary pot!
You are discussing items that are typically combined with each other. These are items that are typically seen as a pair or a set.
お弁当にお茶はいかがですか。
Obentō ni ocha wa ikaga desu ka.
How about a box lunch and green tea?
朝はいつもご飯にみそ汁だ。
Asa wa itsumo gohan ni misoshiru da.
I always eat cooked rice and miso soup in the morning.
ハンバーガーにフライドポテトを注文した。
Hanbāgā ni furaidopoteto o chūmon shita.
I ordered a burger and French fries.
All of the combinations above will sound, to a Japanese speaker, like “typical” combinations, sort of like how an American might think of “peanut butter and jelly,” “bacon and eggs,” or “milk and cookies.”
Tip
Sometimes, you assert that a combination that is not usually typical is typical in a particular situation by using に[ni]. For example:
田中先生はいつもスーツにサンダル姿だ。
Tanaka sensei wa itsumo sūtsu ni sandaru sugata da.
Professor Tanaka is always wearing a suit and sandals.
Though most people don’t wear a suit with sandals, because we’ve used に[ni], we’re asserting that this is a typical combination for Professor Tanaka.
Like と[to], the parallel marker に[ni] only connects nouns or noun phrases. But unlike と[to], it never appears after the last noun:
✅ X に Y に Z
❌ X に Y に Z に
When you use に[ni], much like using “and” in English, you do not necessarily need to give an exhaustive list of all the “parts” of something.
とか [toka]
Like や[ya], the particle とか[toka] is used to list a few items as examples. However, とか[toka] is more casual than や[ya].
ケーキとかクッキーとか大好き！
Kēki toka kukkii toka daisuki!
I love (things like) cakes and cookies!
宝くじが当たったら、旅行とかしたい。
Takarakuji ga atattara, ryokō toka shitai.
If I win the lottery, I’d like to do (things like) traveling.
As you can see from the examples above, とか[toka] tends to follow two different patterns:
X とか Y とか
things like X and Y / such as X and Y
X とか
things like X
Unlike や[ya], which we can use only with nouns or noun phrases, we can use とか[toka] for other elements such as verbs, adjectives, and sentences.
Important
とか[toka] is a casual expression, especially when it appears after only one noun. It should be used in casual conversations or light-hearted writing such as emails to your friends. In business and other formal settings, use X や Y instead of X とか Y とか, and X など instead of X とか!
To sum up
Here is a summary of the most important Japanese parallel markers, at a glance!
Particle | Use for… | Translation | Structures |
|---|---|---|---|
と[to] | an exhaustive list | (only) X and Y | X と Y と Z X と Y と Z と |
や[ya] | a list of examples | X, Y, and others things like X and Y | X や Y や Z |
か[ka] | listing all options | (either) X or Y (only) X or Y | X か Y か Z X か Y か Z か |
に[ni] | listing parts of a combination | X and Y X with Y | X に Y に Z |
とか[toka] | a casual equivalent of や[ya] | things like X and Y things like X | X とか Y とか X とか |
Ready to practice? Check out our Japanese parallel markers exercises to test your skills. Happy learning!
