は or わ？

[Vision]

Hey,
What's the difference between は　and わ？　　Which one is more correct　in this example?

私　（わ or は）　アメリカ　ジン (Amerika-jin)　です。

[Alan]

Whenever 'wa' is the particle that comes after the topic of the sentence, it is written as は. (The topic of the sentence represents what is being talked about)
In other cases (i.e. when 'wa' is part of another word) it is written as わ
So for example we have:

neko wa kuroi desu. (The cat is black)
ねこ　は　くろい　です。(Here 'wa' is the particle marking the topic)

wakarimasen (I don't understand)
わかりません (Here 'wa' is part of the verb wakaru)

Note that in the greeting 'konnichiwa', the wa is actually the particle 'wa', so this is written こんにちは。

In your example you need to use the particle wa (は)

[WCR91]

You nailed it, Alan. My Japanese teacher once told me that "ha" is used for the particle in some cases because words like "konnichiwa" were once entire sentences that were eventually shortened. I'm not sure what the original sentence was, though. *shrug*

[Bueller_007]

You nailed it, Alan. My Japanese teacher once told me that "ha" is used for the particle in some cases because words like "konnichiwa" were once entire sentences that were eventually shortened. I'm not sure what the original sentence was, though. *shrug*

今日はあついですね。
Today sure is hot, isn't it.

Etc.

[Garyuchin]

しかし、わ　is a sentence final particle in feminine speech. (officially) acting to soften the sentence.


I have read that the particle は was, way back in the when, originally はわ, later abbreviated to は in writing. In speaking, the transition went from hawa to firstly hwa (still sounded in elegant speech) and then to the wa of today. I can't swear to the accuracy of the information about the origins, but it certainly is plausible.

[Bueller_007]

しかし、わ　is a sentence final particle in feminine speech. (officially) acting to soften the sentence.


I have read that the particle は was, way back in the when, originally はわ, later abbreviated to は in writing. In speaking, the transition went from hawa to firstly hwa (still sounded in elegant speech) and then to the wa of today. I can't swear to the accuracy of the information about the origins, but it certainly is plausible.

This is not true. If you can read Japanese well enough, here's the real origin:
http://tinyurl.com/2hb4gz
http://tinyurl.com/22a3zy

[Stoise]

Hey,
What's the difference between は　and わ？　　Which one is more correct　in this example?

私　（わ or は）　アメリカ　ジン (Amerika-jin)　です。

Yes its 'ha' when used as a particle (still pronounced 'ha' however) in all other cases it's 'wa'
btw, you've got the sentace pretty much right - but for American, it is Amerika-jin, however you write it like this: アメリカ人
The kanji's kunyomi in jin, and it means "person" (onyomi is hito) so ensentially, you're saying that you are an america-person.

[Bueller_007]

Yes its 'ha' when used as a particle (still pronounced 'ha' however) in all other cases it's 'wa'

I assume you meant to say that は is pronounced "wa" as a particle and "ha" otherwise?

The kanji's kunyomi in jin, and it means "person" (onyomi is hito) so ensentially, you're saying that you are an america-person.

You've got your on'yomi and kun'yomi backwards.

[Garyuchin]

Principle reading: jin
On reading: nin
Kun readings: hito, ~ri, ~to

[Bueller_007]

Principle reading: jin
On reading: nin
Kun readings: hito, ~ri, ~to

Don't know what dictionary you're using, but my kanwajiten has the following:
《常用音訓》ジン・ニン／ひと
《音読み》ジン・ニン
《訓読み》ひと／ひとごとに・ひとびと・じん
《名付け》きよ・さね・たみ・と・ひこ・ひと・ひとし・ふと・むと・め

What is a "principle reading"? Surely that would be "hito"? And "jin" should be in the on-yomi list as well, shouldn't it?

[Garyuchin]

I would have thought the same. I'll try a couple of other dictionaries to verify it. It's just that this one happened to be handy at the time.

[dmr214]

Principle reading: jin
On reading: nin
Kun readings: hito, ~ri, ~to

Don't know what dictionary you're using, but my kanwajiten has the following:
《常用音訓》ジン・ニン／ひと
《音読み》ジン・ニン
《訓読み》ひと／ひとごとに・ひとびと・じん
《名付け》きよ・さね・たみ・と・ひこ・ひと・ひとし・ふと・むと・め

What is a "principle reading"? Surely that would be "hito"? And "jin" should be in the on-yomi list as well, shouldn't it?

Maybe hito is coming up as an onyomi because of words like 人々"hitobito"

[Bueller_007]

Maybe hito is coming up as an onyomi because of words like 人々"hitobito"

Hmm? In the stuff I posted, hito was in the kun-yomi list...