も (Also/Too)
Say "also" with the も particle.
Meeting new people
When you are introducing yourself or talking about your interests, you often find that you share things in common with the person you are talking to. For example, if someone says they are a student, you might want to say, 'I am a student, too.'
How to use も
The particle も replaces the particle は (wa) when you want to express 'also' or 'too'.
Watch out
Examples in action
See how も connects ideas between two people.
私も学生です。
I am a student, too.
田中さんも日本人です。
Tanaka-san is also Japanese.
If A says 'I am a teacher', how do you say 'I am a teacher, too'?
- わたしはせんせいです
- ✓ わたしもせんせいです
- わたしがせんせいです
Use も to indicate that you share the same attribute as the previous speaker.
Nuance and usage
The particle も is used in both casual and polite speech. It is very common in daily conversation.
は vs も
〜は
Sets the topic (standard)
私は学生です
〜も
Adds information (also/too)
私も学生です
Which particle is used to introduce a brand new topic?
- ✓ は
- も
は is used for the main topic, while も is used to show a connection to a previous topic.
Deep dive: Beyond nouns
While you currently use も with nouns, it can also replace other particles like を (object marker) or に (target marker) in more advanced sentences.
Summary
The particle も is a simple and powerful way to express 'also' or 'too' by replacing the topic marker は. It helps build rapport by showing common ground with the person you are speaking with.