In formal writing, the particle を[o] is sometimes preserved, leading to a double particle をも[o mo].
Japanese Articles
How to use も (mo) with nouns in Japanese?
By: Mayumi Ito Mon Jun 08 2026
JapaneseParticles
One of the most common uses of the も[mo] in Japanese is to draw a parallel between two in a sentence or conversation. We use this particle much like you might use the words “also” or “too” in English.
parallel nounsも [mo]
僕はラーメンが大好きです。僕はぎょうざも大好きです。
Boku wa rāmen ga daisuki desu. Boku wa gyōza mo daisuki desu.
I love ramen. I also love gyoza.
In our introduction to も we covered the basic use of this particle, but in this post, we’ll focus in on . In particular, we’ll answer this question: When can you use も alongside other noun-marking particles? Let’s have a look and see if we can answer that question for you!
How do we use も to set off noun phrases?
To use も[mo] to mark a noun phrase, you’ll place も directly after the noun phrase. However, things get tricky we start to look at how も interacts with other particles that are already sitting in that position in the sentence.
In Japanese, a noun phrase will usually consist of a or followed by a particle like は[wa], が[ga], or を[o]. In some cases, that particle will be replaced by も[mo], but in other cases the particles are simply stacked, forming a “double particle”.
Which particles are replaced by も?
The particles は[wa], が[ga], and を[o] are generally replaced by も[mo]. This is the pattern you saw illustrated in our introduction to も, but here are some more examples so that you can see the pattern. Follow the links to learn more about each particle!
Particle | Without も | With も |
|---|---|---|
ぼくはラーメンが大好きです。 Boku wa rāmen ga daisuki desu. I love ramen. | ぼくもラーメンが大好きです。 Boku mo rāmen ga daisuki desu. I love ramen too. | |
ぼくはラーメンが大好きです。 Boku wa rāmen ga daisuki desu. I love ramen. | ぼくはラーメンも大好きです。 Boku wa rāmen mo daisuki desu. I also love ramen. | |
今日、ぎょうざを食べました。 Kyō, gyōza o tabemashita. I ate Chinese dumplings today. | 今日、ぎょうざも食べました。 Kyō, gyōza mo tabemashita. I also ate Chinese dumplings today. |
Exception!
Which particles are used alongside も?
The particles に[ni], へ[e], で[de], と[to], or から[kara] are preserved and used before も[mo], when も is added to a noun phrase. Because two particles appear back-to-back in these cases, they are often called “double particles.” Here are some examples. Follow the links to learn about each particle!
Particle | Without も | With も |
|---|---|---|
新宿にいいカフェがあります。 Shinjuku ni ii kafe ga arimasu. There is a nice cafe in Shinjuku. | 新宿にもいいカフェがあります。 Shinjuku ni mo ii kafe ga arimasu. There is a nice cafe in Shinjuku too. | |
秋に京都へ行きたいです。 Aki ni Kyōto e ikitai desu. I want to go to Kyoto in the fall. | 秋に京都へも行きたいです。 Aki ni Kyōto e mo ikitai desu. I also want to go to Kyoto in the fall. | |
これはスーパーで買えます。 Kore wa sūpā de kaemasu. We can buy this at a supermarket. | これはスーパーでも買えます。 Kore wa sūpā de mo kaemasu. We can also buy this at a supermarket. | |
今日、兄とけんかしました。 Kyō, ani to kenka shimashita. I got into a fight with my elder brother today. | 今日、兄ともけんかしました。 Kyō, ani to mo kenka shimashita. I also got into a fight with my elder brother today. | |
母からメールがきました。 Haha kara mēru ga kimashita. I got an email from my mother. | 母からもメールがきました。 Haha kara mo mēru ga kimashita. I got an email from my mother too. |
Tip
In everyday conversation, you may hear native speakers drop the first part of the double particles へも[e mo] and にも[ni mo], and use only も (at least when に means “in” or “to”). This is not a requirement, though! When in doubt, always go with double particles to avoid any misunderstanding.
You’ll see the same patterns followed in negative sentences as well.
Without も | With も |
|---|---|
これはスーパーで買えません。 Kore wa sūpā de kaemasen. You can’t buy this at a supermarket. | これはデパートでも買えません。 Kore wa depāto de mo kaemasen. You can’t buy this at a department store either. |
How to use …も...も with other noun-marking particles?
You may recall, that you can repeat も[mo], in a …も...も structure, to achieve a meaning a bit like “both…and…” in English. You’ll follow the same general rules for using も with other particles when using …も...も that you do when you use a single も. However, you’ll want to make sure to use the double particle with both instances of も!
は[wa], が[ga], and を[o] are replaced by も[mo].
Without もWith もぼくはラーメンが大好きです。
Boku wa rāmen ga daisuki desu.
I love ramen.
ぼくはラーメンもぎょうざも大好きです。
Boku wa rāmen mo gyōza mo daisuki desu.
I love both ramen and Chinese dumplings.
に[ni], へ[e], で[de], と[to], and から[kara] are preserved, forming a double particle with も[mo]. Make sure to use the double particle with both instances of も!
Without もWith も今日、兄とけんかしました。
Kyō, ani to kenka shimashita.
Today I got into a fight with my elder brother.
今日、兄とも妹ともけんかしました。
Kyō, ani to mo imōto to mo kenka shimashita.
I got into a fight both with my elder brother and with my younger sister.
これはスーパーで買えません。
Kore wa sūpā de kaemasen.
You can’t buy this at a supermarket.
これはスーパーでもデパートでも買えません。
Kore wa sūpā de mo depāto de mo kaemasen.
You can buy this neither at a supermarket nor at a department store.
To sum up
The most important take-away from this article is this: When linking noun phrases…
も[mo] forms double particles with に[ni], へ[e], で[de], と[to], and から[kara].
も[mo] does not form double particles with は[wa], が[ga], and を[o].
That’s all for this post! Do not forget to try our も with nouns activities for extra practice! Happy learning!
Want to learn more about the particle も[mo]? Check out one of these posts:
も with adjectives and verbs → How can you use も to connect parallel elements that aren’t nouns?
も for emphasis and emotion → What are some more abstract uses of も?
も with numbers → How can you use も to indicate your thoughts and feelings about a quantity?
