koko wa shika desu.

topic particle

Breakdown of koko wa shika desu.

• です: to be
• ここ: here
• 歯科しか: dentistry; the dental department

Questions & Answers about koko wa shika desu.

Why is は pronounced wa here instead of ha?

When は is used as the topic particle, it is pronounced wa, not ha.

So in ここは歯科です, you read it as:

ここは しか です
koko wa shika desu

But when は is part of a normal word, it is usually pronounced ha.

Examples:

• はな = flower / nose, depending on kanji, pronounced hana
• ここは = here + topic particle, pronounced koko wa

This is one of the first pronunciation exceptions learners meet in Japanese.

What does ここ mean exactly?

ここ means here, a place near the speaker.

It belongs to the ko-so-a-do set:

• ここ = here
• そこ = there, near the listener
• あそこ = over there, away from both
• どこ = where

So ここは sets this place / here as the topic of the sentence.

What is the function of は in this sentence?