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と (to) - And/With/Quote Particle

[Noun]と[Noun]
[Person]と[Action]
[Quote]と[Verb of saying/thinking]

Explanation

Connects nouns, indicates companionship, or marks quotations.

Formation

Noun + と + Noun

Examples

パンとミルクを買います。
Pan to miruku o kaimasu.
I buy bread and milk.
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友達と映画を見ます。
Tomodachi to eiga o mimasu.
I watch a movie with friends.
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「はい」と言いました。
"Hai" to iimashita.
I said "yes."
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Usage Notes

  • Exhaustive "and" - lists all items
  • Reciprocal actions use と: 結婚する (marry someone)
  • Quotation と for direct/indirect quotes
  • Conditional と (N4 level)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • と is exhaustive; や is non-exhaustive "and"
  • Don't use と to connect sentences (use それから、そして)
  • With quotations, と comes after the quote, before the verb

Related Grammar from "Essential Particles"

は (wa) - Topic Particle

[Topic]は[Comment]

Marks the topic of the sentence - what you're talking about. The rest of the sentence is a comment about this topic.

が (ga) - Subject Particle

[Subject]が[Predicate]

Marks the grammatical subject, introduces new information, or answers "who/what" questions.

を (wo/o) - Direct Object Particle

[Object]を[Transitive Verb]

Marks the direct object of a transitive verb - the thing receiving the action.

More from "Essential Particles"