が

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See also: か and か゚

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

Japanese

Stroke order
5 strokes

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (morpheme-medial alternative pronunciation)

Syllable

が • (ga) 

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

Etymology 2

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

Particle

が • (ga) 

  1. Indicates the subject of a sentence.
    猫(ねこ)が餌(えさ)を食(た)べた。
    Neko ga esa o tabeta.
    The cat ate the cat food.
    犬(いぬ)がいる。
    Inu ga iru.
    There is a dog.
    木(き)がある。
    Ki ga aru.
    There is a tree.
  2. (formal) conjunction ("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. (formal) Used to introduce a new topic into the discussion.
    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;
  4. (literary or Kagoshima) possessive used to connect nouns, most often seen in place names as ヶ.
    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
    Fuji View Hill
    関(せき)ヶ原(はら)
    Sekigahara
    Gateway Plains (site of the Battle of Sekigahara)
    おやっが
    oyagga
    father's (Kagoshima dialect)
    あにょが
    anyoga
    brother's (Kagoshima dialect)
  5. Used after interjected nouns to express contempt.
    このくそが！
    Kono kuso ga!
    You piece of shit!
Usage notes
  • Words that continue to be used with the literary possessive today include 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
Alternative forms
  • (literary possessive): ヶ (ga)
See also

Etymology 3

For pronunciation and definitions of が – see the following entries.
【画】2
picture, drawing, painting
movie, film, video
genre or style of painting
【芽】4
bud; sprout; shoot
【我】6
the ego, self
self-righteousness
(Buddhism) obstinacy
(Hinduism) atman
self, oneself, myself
egotism, selfishness
(Buddhism) atman
【牙】S
an animal's fang or tusk
an elephant's tusk: ivory
a tooth
【瓦】S
roof tile
Used phonetically.
【雅】S
elegant
elegance
【餓】S
hungry; hunger
【臥】J
to bend down; to lie down; to prostrate
【俄】J
sudden, abrupt, unexpected
【駕】J
vehicle; horse-drawn carriage
【蛾】H
a moth (insect similar to a butterfly)
Alternative spelling
ガ
(This term, が, 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 are uncreated: 賀, 峨, 衙.)

References

  1. ^ 鄭光, 主格 ‘가’의 發達에 대하여: 近代國語資料의 解釋을 中心으로, 우리문화, 2.

Okinawan

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

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 *ga for details.
  • Historically, after an original Proto-Ryukyuan */i/, ga palatalizes to gya, as seen in the Omoro Sōshi.

Etymology 2

Cognate with Japanese か (ka).

Pronunciation

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).
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