We previously learned using と (and) to connect nouns. In this lesson, we're going to learn the particle や (and).
や is used to list two or more nouns, and unlike と it implies that there are other possible items that have not been listed. For example:
| (I) like Italian and Japanese food (among others). | イタリア や 日本 の 食べ物 が 好き です。itaria ya nihon no tabemono ga suki desu. |
| She's good at tennis and swimming (among other things). | 彼女 は テニス や 泳ぐの が 上手。kanojo wa tenisu ya oyoguno ga jouzu. |
や can also be used with the adjective など, meaning and so on or etcetera, to explicitly indicate that there are other objects besides those listed.
| I went to London and Paris (and other such places) in the winter. | 冬 は ロンドン や パリ など に 行きました。fuyu wa rondon ya pari nado ni ikimashita. |
| "What did you eat for breakfast?" "I had some bread and yoghurt and such." | 「朝ご飯 は 何 を 食べた か？」 「パン や ヨーグルト など 食べた。」「asagohan wa nani o tabeta ka?」 「pan ya yooguruto nado tabeta.」 |
