Japanese Language Learning Reviews

All About Particles: A Handbook of Japanese Function Words by Naoko Chino

Score:
6 / 10
Pros:
well organized; lots of full-sentence usage examples; covers enough particles and uses to please even seasoned students; entries all have script and transliteration
Cons:
limited in scope; usage-based examples suggest further study that this book can’t provide; a light reference

As a Japanese learner, I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of many of the Kodansha materials I’ve purchased or borrowed. That’s not to say I don’t have my share of complaints (I’m a reviewer and a critic, after all). All About Particles is another of their solid publications that pigeonholes itself into a niche of Japanese grammar that pesters students: the elusive particle.

Japanese particles are small, grammatical function words that string together words and phrases, but their meaning is hard to pin down on their own. They’re often defined to learners as “grammar word that does X”. Simple concepts, like asking a question or making someone the subject of an action, require particles in Japanese.

This book introduces almost seventy particles, giving multiple ways each particle is used, including nuances. Then, the guide lists realistic Japanese sentences for each nuance. Similarly functioning particles are cross-referenced. Short explanations are given in English, but they’re always to the point – rarely lengthy or bogged down.

All particles and examples are written in Japanese script, then Japanese transliteration (“Romanization”). All examples are translated into English. An index of particles and important constructions ends the book.

As the back cover sleekly proclaims, this is a good at-hand reference guide for beginners and intermediate learners. It covers reading and referencing particles and sentences from multiple angles. To learn Japanese grammar and sentence structure, you really do have to master particles. While you can find similar lists with examples for cheaper (like Barron’s Japanese Grammar), none have this depth for this price.

Sure, it’s a very specific topic. But, if you’re at the stage where a stand-by, usage-filled book on particles would be handy, take the leap and buy this one.