Learn Hardcore Japanese: uketukegakari ha raikyaku ni siryou wo watasimasita. - The receptionist handed the materials to the visitor.

The particle は marks the topic of the sentence. Here, 受付係 (the receptionist) is presented as the topic—“As for the receptionist…” It doesn’t strictly mark the grammatical subject (that’s が), but rather sets what we’re talking about.

What does the particle に indicate in 来客に?

The particle に marks the indirect object or recipient with giving/handing verbs. In 来客に, 来客 (the visitor) is the one receiving something: “to the visitor.”

What does the particle を indicate in 資料を?

The particle を marks the direct object of the verb. Here, 資料 (materials/documents) is what gets handed over, so it takes を before 渡しました.

Why does the verb 渡しました appear at the end?

Japanese follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) order. Verbs always come at the end of the clause, so you list the topic, then the objects (indirect then direct), and finally the verb.

Why use 渡しました instead of あげました?

渡す means “to hand/pass something physically to someone,” focusing on the act of handing over. あげる means “to give.” While both can express giving, 渡す is more natural when you’re literally handing out materials.

Could I swap the order to 資料を来客に渡しました?

Yes. Japanese allows you to swap the indirect object (来客に) and direct object (資料を), as long as you keep their particles. Swapping just shifts slight emphasis (here on 資料), but it’s still grammatical.

What’s the difference between 来客 and お客様?

来客 is a neutral term meaning “visitor” or “guest.” お客様 is the polite/honorific way to say “customer” or “guest.” In real customer-service settings, you’d usually use お客様 to show respect.

How do we know whether it’s “the documents” or just “documents”? Japanese has no “the.”

Japanese doesn’t use articles like “the” or “a.” Definiteness (the vs. a) comes from context. Here we assume those materials are specific to the visitor, so we interpret 資料 as “the documents.”

How do you indicate plural (e.g. “documents”) in Japanese?

Most nouns (like 資料) are uncountable and don’t change form for plural. You rely on context. If you need to specify “some” or “several,” you can add words like いくつかの資料 (“some documents”) or use numbers with counters.

What is the reading and meaning of 受付係?

受付 (うけつけ) means “reception (desk),” and 係 (がかり) means “person in charge.” Together 受付係 (うけつけがかり) means “receptionist” or “reception clerk.”

What’s the nuance difference between using は and が in 受付係が来客に資料を渡しました?

Using が marks 受付係 as the grammatical subject, often introducing new information or emphasizing who did the action. は marks it as the topic, assuming it’s known or shifting focus to what follows (the handing).

Can I use へ instead of に for the recipient?

With giving/handing verbs like 渡す, に is the standard marker for the receiver. へ indicates direction (“toward”) and isn’t normally used to mark the person receiving in a gift/handing context.