Activities: What roles can the particle も (mo) play in Japanese? Part 1

Fill in the blanks using the words in the word bank and the particleも. What role is this particle playing?

• 私はテニスが大好きですが、なんですよ。

  Watashi wa tenisu ga daisuki desu ga, __ nandesu yo.

  I love tennis, but I like golf too.

  好き

  suki

  like

  ゴルフ

  gorufu

  golf

  ⇒ も(too) is a similarity marker.

• 銀座のブティックでいろいろな服を試着しましたが、。
  

  Ginza no butikku de iroirona fuku o shichaku shimashita ga, __.

  I tried on various clothes at the boutique in Ginza, but I did not like any of them at all.

  気に入りませんでした

  ki ni irimasendeshita

  didn’t like

  どれ

  dore

  which one, any one

  ⇒ も(none of them, (not) any of them) indicates strong negation.

• えーっ、それで、もうんですか。すごいですね。

  Ē, sore de, mō __ ndesu ka. Sugoi desu ne.

  What, and already you can play even such a difficult music piece? Amazing.

  弾ける

  hikeru

  can play

  曲

  kyoku

  music piece

  むずかしい

  muzukashii

  difficult

  そんな

  sonna

  such

  ⇒ も(even) marks emphasis (sense of surprise).

Fill in the blank using one of the question words in the word bank. Don’t forget to add appropriate particles as needed!

• いつ

  itsu

  when

  どこ

  doko

  where

  だれ

  dare

  who

  なに

  nani

  what

  どっち

  dotchi

  which one (casual speech)

• きのうは日曜日でしたが、雨だったので行きませんでした。

  Kinō wa nichiyōbi deshita ga, ame datta node __ ikimasendeshita.

  Yesterday was Sunday, but since it was raining, I didn’t go anywhere at all.

  ⇒ へ in the double particle structure can be omitted in everyday conversation, so どこへも and どこも both work.

• 私は会社にお弁当を持っていきます。外食は値段が高いですから。

  Watashi wa __ kaisha ni obentō o motte ikimasu. Gaishoku wa nedan ga takai desu kara.

  I always take home-packed lunch to work. Because eating out costs a lot.

• Speaker A:

  デザートはプリン？それともアイスクリーム？

  Dezāto wa purin? Soretomo aisukuriimu?

  As for dessert, (do you prefer) caramel custard? Or ice cream?

  Speaker B:

  うーん、おいしそう。
  

  Ūn, __ oishisō.

  Hmmm, both sound tasty.

• Speaker A:

  ペットがいますか。

  Petto ga imasu ka.

  Do you have pets?

  Speaker B:

  いえ、うちは飼っていません。

  Ie, uchi wa __ katte imasen.

  No, we keep none in our household.

Complete each conversation based on the English line.

• Speaker A:

  どちらが好きですか。

  Dochira ga suki desu ka.

  Which one do you like?

  Speaker B:

  。

  __.

  I like neither of them.

• Speaker A:

  今日だれと出かけましたか。

  Kyō dare to dekakemashita ka.

  With whom did you go out today?

  Speaker B:

  。

  __.

  I went out with no one.

• Speaker A:

  明日はどこへ行きますか。

  Ashita wa doko e ikemasu ka.

  Where are you going tomorrow?

  Speaker B:

  。

  __.

  I’m going nowhere.

• Speaker A:

  あの箱になにが入っていますか。

  Ano hako ni nani ga haitte imasu ka.

  What is in that box over there?

  Speaker B:

  。

  __.

  Nothing is in it.