Parallel Markers: と, や, か, and とか

Last time, you learned the functions of the particle から: Starting Point, Source, Raw Material, and State Before Change. So far, you have learned the usages of the particles assuming the number of subjects or objects is just one. In this lesson, you will learn expressions where there are more than one subject or object by using parallel markers: と, や, か, and とか.

Parallel Markers: と, や, か, and とか: Expressing “and” and “or”

Table of Contents
Parallel Marker と
Parallel Marker や
Parallel Marker か
Parallel Marker とか

Here, you will learn only parallel markers which can be used for nouns. This is the difference between Japanese and English. You can use “and” and “or” for any part of speech in English, but Japanese doesn’t allow you to do so. Regarding the ones for verbs, you will learn them in other sections.

Parallel Marker と: A and B (and nothing else)

[私わたしは / が]	リンゴとオレンジを	食たべる / 食たべます
Topic/Subject	Objects	Verb
[I will] eat apples and oranges (and nothing else).

The function is to list nouns which have similar meanings or are of similar types. The point here is that と indicates you have listed everything. Here are more examples.

ひらがなとカタカナは簡単かんたん（だ / です）。
Hiragana and Katakana are easy.

田た中なかさんと山やま本もとさんは英えい語ごを勉べん強きょう（する / します）。
Tanaka-san and Yamamoto-san will study English.

学校がっこうと図と書しょ館かんで本ほんを（読よむ / 読よみます）。
[I will] read books at school and the library.

If you would like to list more than two nouns, you continue to add と between additional nouns.

私わたしと田た中なかさんと山やま本もとさんは英えい語ごを勉べん強きょう（する / します）。

Some people prefer to replace the second (and the third, if any more) と with “、”, though both of the expressions are natural. This is applicable for other parallel markers, too.

私わたしと田た中なかさん、山本やまもとさんは英えい語ごを勉べん強きょう（する / します）。

Parallel Marker や: A and B (and something else)

[私わたしは / が]	靴くつや帽ぼう子しを	買かう / 買かいます
Topic/Subject	Objects	Verb
[I will] buy shoes and a hat (and something else).

The function is to express “and.” The difference between と and や is that や doesn’t list everything, that is to say, there has to be something unlisted. Here are more examples.

教きょう科か書しょや辞じ書しょは必要ひつよう（だ / です）。
Textbooks and dictionaries (and something else) are necessary.

ケンやシンジはバスケットボールが好すき（だ / です）。
As for Ken and Shinji (and someone else) , basketball is the one they like.

フルーツやデザートを（買かう / 買かいます）。
[I will] buy fruits and dessert (and something else).

If you would like to emphasize the existence of unlisted things, you can attach など with the last noun. That sounds slightly more formal.

大学だいがくで法律ほうりつや歴れき史しなどを勉べん強きょうします。
[I will] study law, history, etc. at the university.

Parallel Marker か: A or B

[私わたしは / が]	英えい語ごかイタリア語ごを	始はじめる / 始はじめます
Topic/Subject	Object	Verb
[I will] start [learning] English or Italian.

The function is to express one of the two (or more) like “or.” In the above example, you will start learning ONLY English or Italian. Here are more examples.

京きょう都とか大阪おおさかに（行いく / 行いきます）。
[I will] go to Kyoto or Osaka.

川かわか海うみで（泳およぐ / 泳およぎます）。
[I will] swim in the river or the sea.

私わたしか姉あねが（歌うたう / 歌うたいます）。
I or my elder sister will sing songs.

か is sometimes placed after the last noun, though there is no difference.

京きょう都とか大阪おおさかかに（行いく / 行いきます）。

川かわか海うみかで（泳およぐ / 泳およぎます）。

私わたしか姉あねかが（歌うたう / 歌うたいます）。

Parallel Marker とか

寿司すしとか天てんぷらとか	日に本ほん食しょくは	美味おいしい（です）
Example	Topic/Subject	Predicate
Japanese cuisine like Sushi and Tempura are delicious.

The function is to list examples. This can roughly be translated as “things like A and B.” The concept is similar to や, which leaves something unlisted. However, や is more formal than とか.

サッカーとか野や球きゅうとかスポーツを（する / します）。
[I will] play sport like soccer and baseball.

５時ごじとか６ろく時じとか朝あさに勉べん強きょう（する / します）。
[I will] study at times in the morning like 5am and 6am.

You can use とか just like や. The meaning is almost same, but とか is used with more colloquial expressions.

塩しおとか砂さ糖とうを（買かう / 買かいます）。
[I will] buy [things] like salt and sugar.

公園こうえんとか駅えきで（歌うたう / 歌うたいます）。
[I will] sing songs at [places] like parks and stations.

Advanced Topic: Practical Usage

This is often heard in conversation in order to show examples. For instance, if someone says “I want to eat something delicious,” you can reply “寿司すしとか (like Sushi)？” The following sentence patterns are ones you will learn later, but briefly check how とか works.

海うみとか（行いかない / 行いきませんか）？
Won’t you go [somewhere] like the sea [with me]?

山やまとかどう（ですか）？
What about [somewhere] like mountains?

山やまは富士ふじ山さんとか（ですか）？
As for mountains, is it Mt. Fuji (or any other ones)?

Summary

と can express A and B (and nothing else)
や can express A and B (and something else)
か can express A or B
とか can list examples: Things like A and B

Although we have mentioned some usages in the advanced topic section, you don’t have to memorize them right now. All you need to know is what we have summarized above. Now, you can express various things with plural subjects and objects. Next, you will learn the particle の, which means you will almost complete Japanese particles. Great job!