kono pasokon wa furui desu ga, mada tsukaemasu.

topic particle

Breakdown of kono pasokon wa furui desu ga, mada tsukaemasu.

• です: to be
• パソコン: computer
• この: this

Questions & Answers about kono pasokon wa furui desu ga, mada tsukaemasu.

What does この mean, and why does it have to be followed by パソコン?

この means this, but it is a determiner, not a standalone pronoun. That means it must come before a noun.

• この パソコン = this computer
• You cannot normally say just この to mean this one

If you want to say this one, you would use これ instead.

• これは古いです。 = This one is old.
• このパソコンは古いです。 = This computer is old.

Why is は written ha but pronounced wa here?

In this sentence, は is the topic particle, and when は is used as a particle, it is pronounced wa.

So:

• この パソコン は is pronounced kono pasokon wa

This is one of the first special pronunciation rules learners meet in Japanese. The spelling stays は, but the pronunciation changes when it functions as a particle.

What is the job of は in this sentence?