“副助詞 — focus particles”
Focus particles — called 副助詞 in Japanese — add nuance, contrast, or emphasis. They follow nouns, and just changing one can shift the meaning completely.
-
この本 は 読みました。
→ “As for this book, I read it.” -
この本 も 読みました。
→ “I also read this book.” -
この本 だけ 読みました。
→ “I read only this book.” -
この本 ばかり 読みました。
→ “I read nothing but this book.” -
この本 まで 読みました。
→ “I even read this book.” or “I read up to this book.” -
この本 など 読みました。
→ “I read things like this book.”
These small words carry a lot of weight. You’ll hear them often — and understanding their feeling is key to natural Japanese.