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Usages of ga
すみません が、 答え を 知らなかった。sumimasen ga, kotae wo siranakatta.
I am sorry (but), I didn't know the answer.
馬 は 好き じゃ ない が、 犬 は 好き よ。uma ha suki zya nai ga, inu ha suki yo.
I don't like horses, but I like dogs.
授業 が 始まる 前 に ベル が 鳴る。zyugyou ga hazimaru mae ni beru ga naru.
The bell rings before the class starts.
ご親切 に ありがとう ございます が、 結構 です。gosinsetu ni arigatou gozaimasu ga, kekkou desu.
Thank you for your kindness, but no thank you.
ワイン を 四杯 飲みました が、 まだ 足りません。wain wo yonhai nomimasita ga, mada tarimasen.
I drank four glasses of wine, but it’s still not enough.
Test yourself: What does ga mean?
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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