が

See also: か and か゚

が U+304C, が HIRAGANA LETTER GA Composition: か [U+304B] + ◌゙ [U+3099] ← か [U+304B] Hiragana き → [U+304D]

Japanese

Stroke order

Etymology 1

The hiragana character か (ka) with a dakuten (゛).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɡa̠]

• IPA^(key): [ŋa̠] (morpheme-medial alternative pronunciation)

Syllable

が • (ga) 

1. The hiragana syllable が (ga). Its equivalent in katakana is ガ (ga).

See also

• (Hiragana) 平仮名; あぁ, いぃ, うぅゔ, えぇ, おぉ, かゕが, きぎ, くぐ, けゖげ, こご, さざ, しじ, すず, せぜ, そぞ, ただ, ちぢ, つっづ, てで, とど, な, に, ぬ, ね, の, はばぱ, ひびぴ, ふぶぷ, へべぺ, ほぼぽ, ま, み, む, め, も, やゃ, 𛀆, ゆゅ, 𛀁, よょ, ら, り, る, れ, ろ, わゎ, ゐ, 𛄟 (𛄟), ゑ, を, ん, ー, ゝ, ゞ, ゟ

Etymology 2

From Proto-Japonic *-ka. Compare Korean -가 (-ga) (possibly borrowed from Japanese into Korean).

Particle

が • (ga) 

1. (case-marking)
   1. indicates the subject of a verb

      猫(ねこ)が鼠(ねずみ)を食(た)べた。 ― Neko ga nezumi o tabeta. ― The cat ate the mouse.

      本(ほん)が机(つくえ)の上(うえ)にある。 ― Hon ga tsukue no ue ni aru. ― A book is on the desk.

      • 2012, “空想少女への恋手紙 [Love Letters to an Imaginary Girl]”, in まらしぃ [Marasy] (lyrics), 空想メモライズ‎^{YouTube VocaDB}, performed by まらしぃ [Marasy] ft. 初音ミク:

        宛先(あてさき)が君(きみ)のラブレターは　どこに出(だ)せば届(とど)くのかな

        atesaki ga kimi no rabu retā wa doko ni daseba todoku no ka na

        The love letter whose destination is you, where should I post it that it may reach you?

   3. (literary or Kagoshima) possessive used to connect nouns, most often seen in place names as ヶ; 's

      Synonym: の (no)

      我(われ)々(われ)が心(こころ) ― wareware ga kokoro ― our heart

      富(ふ)士(じ)見(み)ヶ丘(おか) ― Fujimigaoka ― Fujimigaoka (literally, “Fuji View Hill”)

      関(せき)ヶ原(はら) ― Sekigahara ― Sekigahara (literally, “Gateway Plains”)

      おやっが ― oya'ga ― father's (Kagoshima dialect)

      あにょが ― anyoga ― brother's (Kagoshima dialect)

2. (conjunctive)
   1. (formal) used to introduce a new topic of discussion by way of a short preface or explanation

      Synonym: けれども (keredomo)

      先日(せんじつ)の件(けん)ですが、 […] ― Senjitsu no ken desu ga, […] ― About that thing from yesterday; […]

      • 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 8, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下 先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:

        私(わたくし)は今(いま)あなたの前(まえ)に打(う)ち明(あ)けるが、私(わたくし)はあの時(とき)この叔父(おじ)の事(こと)を考(かんが)えていたのです。

        Watakushi wa ima anata no mae ni uchiakeru ga, watakushi wa ano toki kono oji no koto o kangaete ita no desu.

        I shall now be honest with you: at that time I had this matter regarding my uncle in mind.

   2. (formal) but

      Synonym: けれども (keredomo)

      犬(いぬ)は好(す)きだが、猫(ねこ)は嫌(きら)いだ。

      Inu wa suki da ga, neko wa kirai da.

      I like dogs but I hate cats.

   3. (with verbs in volitional) no matter; regardless of
      • 1914, 夏目漱石 [Natsume Sōseki], chapter 16, in こゝろ [Kokoro], 下 先生と遺書 [Sensei's Testament]:

        私(わたくし)は自(じ)由(ゆう)な身体(からだ)でした。たとい学(がっ)校(こう)を中(ちゅう)途(と)で已(や)めようが、またどこへ行(い)ってどう暮(く)らそうが、あるいはどこの何(なに)者(もの)と結(けっ)婚(こん)しようが、誰(だれ)とも相(そう)談(だん)する必(ひつ)要(よう)のない位(い)地(ち)に立(た)っていました。

        Watakushi wa jiyū na karada deshita. Tatoi gakkō o chūto de yameyō ga, mata doko e itte dō kurasō ga, aruiha doko no nanimono to kekkon shiyō ga, dare to mo sōdan suru hitsuyō no nai ichi ni tatte imashita.

        I was free. Even were I to drop out of school, no matter where or how I might live my life, or to whom I might get married or where they're from, I was positioned such that I did not need to consult with anyone.

3. (final)
   1. (formal) used in anapodota to indirectly express one's own wishes, requesting the listener to oblige one somehow

      Synonym: けれども (keredomo)

      すみません、切(きっ)符(ぷ)を無(な)くしてしまったんですが。

      Sumimasen, kippu o naku shite shimatta n desu ga.

      Excuse me, I appear to have lost my ticket. (Could you...?)

   2. used in anapodota to express wishes one thinks are unlikely (or even impossible) to be fulfilled; it would be nice if ...; if only ...

      Synonym: けれども (keredomo)

      明日(あした)も晴(は)れてくれればいいんだが。

      Ashita mo harete kurereba ii n da ga.

      It would be nice if it were sunny tomorrow as well.

   3. expresses anger, dissatisfaction, annoyance, etc.

      何(なん)度(ど)も説(せつ)明(めい)してるだろうが。

      Nando mo setsumei shite ru darō ga.

      I don't know how many times I've explained this to you already.

   4. used after interjected nouns to express contempt

      このくそが！ ― Kono kuso ga! ― You piece of shit!

   5. (Tosa) indicates emphasis or a question

      Synonyms: (standard) の (no), (Kyūshū) と (to)

      どこ行(い)くが？ ― doko iku ga? ― Where are you going?

      おなかいっぱい食(た)べるがやき！

      Onaka ippai taberu ga ya ki!

      I'm going to eat as much as I can!

      (compare 〜のだよ！ in the standard language)

Usage notes

• Some words continue to be used with the literary possessive sense (etymology 2 sense 1.2) today, such as まま (mama) and ため (tame):

  言(い)われるがまま ― iwareru ga mama ― (doing) as one is told

  君(きみ)がために ― kimi ga tame ni ― for you

See also

• は (wa)

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of が – see the following entries.

【画】2 [noun] picture, drawing, painting [noun] movie, film, video [suffix] genre or style of painting

【芽】4 [affix] bud; sprout; shoot

【賀】4 [noun] congratulation

【我】6 [noun] the ego, self [noun] self-righteousness [noun] (Buddhism) obstinacy [noun] (Hinduism) atman [affix] self, oneself, myself [affix] egotism, selfishness [affix] (Buddhism) atman

【牙】S [affix] an animal's fang or tusk [affix] an elephant's tusk: ivory [affix] a tooth

【瓦】S [affix] roof tile [affix] Used phonetically.

【雅】S [adjective] elegant [noun] elegance

【餓】S [affix] hungry; hunger

【臥】J [affix] to bend down, to lie down, to prostrate

【俄】J [affix] sudden, abrupt, unexpected

【駕】J [noun] vehicle; horse-drawn carriage

【蛾】H [noun] a moth (insect similar to a butterfly) Alternative spelling ガ

(This term, が (ga), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as が, see Category:Japanese kanji read as が.

(The following entries do not have a page created for them yet: 峨, 衙.)

Okinawan

Etymology 1

From Proto-Ryukyuan *ga, from Proto-Japonic *-nka (“nominative and genitive case marker”). Cognate with Japanese が (ga).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡa/

Particle

が (ga) 

1. genitive case marker
   1. Indicates possession: of, -'s

      彼(あり)が書物(しむち)

      ari-ga shimuchi

      His book

2. nominative case marker
   1. Indicates the subject of a sentence.

      彼(あり)が来(ち)ゃん。

      Ari-ga chan.

      He came.

      学生(がくそー)が毎日(めーなち)学校(がっこー)んかい行(い)ちゃびーん。

      Gakusō-ga mēnachi gakkō-nkai ichabīn.

      The students go to school every day.

3. particle indicating purpose/intent; for; to

   魚(いゆ)取(とぅ)いが行(い)ちゅん。

   Iyu tui-ga ichun.

   I will go (to) catch a fish.

Usage notes

• が (ga) is used for personal names or pronouns, ぬ (nu) is used otherwise. See Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/ga § Usage notes for details.
• Historically, after an original Proto-Ryukyuan */i/, ga palatalizes to gya, as seen in the Omoro Sōshi.

Etymology 2

First attested as 가 (/⁠ka⁠/) (Haytong Ceykwukki, 1501). Cognate with Japanese か (ka).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡa/

Particle

が (ga) 

1. final interrogative particle, similar to a question mark ("?"). Appear only in wh-questions, but followed by やー can be used in other interrogations.

   今日(ちゅー)や何(ぬー)さびたが？

   Chū-ya nū sabitaga?

   What did you do today?

References

• “が” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “が” in JLect - Japonic Languages and Dialects Database Dictionary, 2019.
• “ガ” in Okinawa Center of Language Study, Shuri-Naha Dialect Dictionary (archived; reopens 2024).