How to Say And in Japanese: Four Joins, One Question

Most languages use one word for and in every position. Japanese has four joins instead, small words or endings that connect two parts, and you choose one by what you are joining.

Start with the simplest join, two nouns in one complete list:

私には兄と姉がいますわたしにはあにとあねがいます (watashinihaanitoanegaimasu)

I have an older brother and an older sister.

Ask one question first: what are you joining? Two nouns, two adjectives, two verbs, and two whole sentences each take a different join. The same question tells you when a join does not fit, because と (to) joins nouns and cannot join two verbs.

A join also tells your listener something about the pair it has made. と (to) says the list is complete. て (te) says the actions happened in that order.

The answer to that question chooses the join for you. Nouns take と (to) or や (ya). Adjectives take くて (kute) or で (de).

Verbs take て (te) or たり (tari). Two full sentences take a word that opens the second sentence, or が (ga) between the two halves. Here are all four in one view, with the pair you choose between in each row.

The first three rows hold two options each. In two of them the choice is yours. In the adjective row, the word in front decides for you.

The first three rows stay inside one sentence. The fourth row mostly starts a new sentence, so it gets a section of its own below.

Both words join nouns, and English uses and for both. The difference is what each one says about the list it has made.

と (to) means you have named everything on the list. や (ya) names a few examples and allows more. Here is a classroom, where you can name everything in it:

教室に机といすがありますきょうしつにつくえといすがあります (kyoushitsunitsukuetoisugaarimasu)

There are desks and chairs in the classroom.

Now name places you want to visit, where a full list would be strange:

海や山などへ行きたいですうみややまなどへいきたいです (umiyayamanadoheikitaidesu)

I want to go to the sea, the mountains, and places like that.

など (nado) at the end means and so on, and it belongs to the open list. Do not put など (nado) after と (to), because と (to) has already closed the list. The sentence would then say both that these are all of them and that there are more:

❌ 冷蔵庫にビールとお茶などがありますれいぞうこにビールとおちゃなどがあります (reizoukonibiirutoochanadogaarimasu)

⭕ 冷蔵庫にビールやお茶などがありますれいぞうこにビールやおちゃなどがあります (reizoukonibiiruyaochanadogaarimasu)

Two more rules belong here. と (to) goes between items, not after the last one. A list that names every item sounds odd with や (ya), so close it with と (to).

A second と (to) looks the same but does a different job. In 友だちと行きますともだちといきます (tomodachitoikimasu), it marks the person you go with, not an item on a list.

The test is the same question. Two things of one kind, side by side, make a list. A person marked this way is the one you go with.

An い (i)-adjective, one that ends in い (i) like 安いやすい (yasui), takes くて (kute). A な (na)-adjective, one that takes な (na) before a noun, and a plain noun both take で (de). Sorting a word into its type settles the choice, and the field note on adjectives shows how to sort.

Tense and politeness go on the last word only. The words before it keep their plain linking shape. Two things about a cat, said at once:

あの猫は小さくて、かわいいですあのねこはちいさくて、かわいいです (anonekohachiisakute,kawaiidesu)

That cat is small and cute.

This join has one limit. The two traits must agree with each other, like small and cute. For cheap but cramped, Japanese uses けど (kedo) or が (ga) instead, and both appear again below.

Two joins share this row, and the difference is what each one tells the listener about the order.

て (te) says the actions happened in this order, and that these are all of them. The verb takes its て (te) form, which the field note on verb conjugation builds from scratch. たり (tari) makes no claim about order, and the two actions are only a sample of more.

Here a shop is being closed for the night, and the order is the point of the sentence:

電気を消して、店を出ましたでんきをけして、みせをでました (denkiwokeshite,misewodemashita)

I turned off the lights and left the shop.

On a day off, the order does not matter, and nobody thinks these are the only two things you did:

休日は本を読んだり、友だちに会ったりしますきゅうじつはほんをよんだり、ともだちにあったりします (kyuujitsuhahonwoyondari,tomodachiniattarishimasu)

On my days off I read, see friends, and so on.

In both patterns the tense goes at the end. The verbs in front do not change. The final word decides whether the whole chain is past or present, polite or plain.

Same two verbs, opposite message about the order:

The last row of the first table holds the most words. Five of them share it, and they are what people usually mean by Japanese conjunctions.

Four of the five open a new sentence. そして (soshite) adds a second point of equal weight, and それから (sorekara) adds the next thing in sequence. でも (demo) marks a contrast in everyday speech, and だから (dakara) states a result.

Each of the four takes a comma, and the rest of the sentence follows as normal. Here are two facts about yesterday's weather, with the same weight:

きのうは寒かったです。そして、風も強かったですきのうはさむかったです。そして、かぜもつよかったです (kinouhasamukattadesu.soshite,kazemotsuyokattadesu)

Yesterday was cold. And the wind was strong too.

The fifth word, が (ga), works inside a single sentence. First, one more でも (demo) sentence: a long walk with an ending you might not expect:

たくさん歩きました。でも、あまり疲れていませんたくさんあるきました。でも、あまりつかれていません (takusan'arukimashita.demo,amaritsukareteimasen)

I walked a lot. But I'm not very tired.

This section rests on one decision. Ask where the join happens, because that decides the word. Between two sentences, use でも (demo), and inside one sentence, use が (ga).

❌ この店は安いでも、おいしいですこのみせはやすいでも、おいしいです (konomisehayasuidemo,oishiidesu)

⭕ この店は安いですが、おいしいですこのみせはやすいですが、おいしいです (konomisehayasuidesuga,oishiidesu)

The repair is not a change of word order or a missing particle. Those two topics live in the field note on sentence structure. でも (demo) does not fit inside a sentence, so the two halves need が (ga) to connect them.

A quick test helps here. If you can say both halves without a pause, they belong in one sentence.

が (ga) has a second use that surprises learners. It does not have to mark a contrast at all:

すみませんが、その窓を閉めてもいいですかすみませんが、そのまどをしめてもいいですか (sumimasenga,sonomadowoshimetemoiidesuka)

Excuse me, but may I close that window?

Nothing is contradicted there. The が (ga) softens the request that follows, so do not read it as a hard but.

One more point on register. In writing and formal speech, しかし (shikashi) does the work of でも (demo). In casual speech, けど (kedo) takes the same position inside the sentence, as the everyday word for but.

Here are the five side by side, with what each one does and its closest English.

Still inside that last row, three more words do a narrower job. They tie a reason to its result, which is how Japanese says because. The reason comes first, and that order does not change.

から (kara) gives the reason directly and personally. ので (node) sounds softer and more objective, so it suits requests, notices, and apologies. Here's the message you send the office before you leave early:

頭が痛いので、早退しますあたまがいたいので、そうたいします (atamagaitainode,soutaishimasu)

I have a headache, so I'm leaving early.

With the direct one, the reason no longer sounds like an apology. This is the tone you want when you are explaining something about yourself:

甘いものが好きだから、よくケーキを買いますあまいものがすきだから、よくケーキをかいます (amaimonogasukidakara,yokukeekiwokaimasu)

I like sweet things, so I often buy cake.

し (shi) does something the other two do not. It lists reasons and hints that you could add more, so two reasons suggest a third:

近いし、安全だし、歩きますちかいし、あんぜんだし、あるきます (chikaishi,anzendashi,arukimasu)

It's close, and it's safe, so I'll walk.

For exactly one reason, use から (kara). For several reasons, with more to add, use し (shi). After your own mistake, one reason works better than a list.

These three belong to the same row as the five above. They are a narrower way of joining two sentences, with the reason marked as a reason.

This brings you back to the question you opened with. What you are joining picks the join. The words are few and short, so get the question right first.

Between two nouns, と (to) closes the list and や (ya) leaves it open.

Between two verbs, て (te) keeps the order and たり (tari) drops it.

Between two sentences, でも (demo) opens the second one, and が (ga) stays inside a single sentence.

Not one word that covers every join. と (to) comes closest, and a dictionary usually offers it first because it joins nouns. Adjectives, verbs, and whole sentences each take a different join, so と (to) borrowed for them produces a broken sentence.

Use と (to) if the list is complete and や (ya) if it is a sample. と (to) between two nouns says those are all of them. や (ya) says these are examples, and it takes など (nado) at the end for and so on.

Put と (to) between the two items, and the whole order fits in one sentence. Ordering a drink and something to go with it:

ビールと枝豆をお願いしますビールとえだまめをおねがいします (biirutoedamamewoonegaishimasu)

A beer and edamame, please.

The join also tells the server that this is the whole order.

Open the second sentence with そして (soshite) for another point of equal weight, or それから (sorekara) for the next thing in sequence. Both take a comma. For a contrast, でも (demo) opens a new sentence, while が (ga) stays inside one.

Ukiyoe Japanese keeps each of these joins as a lesson of its own. The lesson on nouns puts と (to) and や (ya) in the same pair of sentences, so you can watch a list close and open again. The lesson on sentences ends where this field note ends, by asking where the join happens.

Every sentence in them has been checked. Where a form breaks, the working version is shown right next to it, and the difference is usually one word.

Beside the lessons is Te-form forge, a drill on the て (te) form that the verb join is built from. There's also a speaking exercise that asks you to order two things in one sentence, out loud.