Japanese grammar relies heavily on particles — short words that indicate how other words function in a sentence. In this article, we’ll focus on four important particles: から (kara), まで (made), より (yori), and や (ya). Each has a unique use and appears frequently in daily conversation and JLPT exams.
📍 1. から (kara) – “From”
から means “from” and is used to show the starting point of time, location, or action.
🧠 Structure:
[Starting point] + から
🔍 Examples:
- 東京から来ました。
→ I came from Tokyo. - 9時から始まります。
→ It starts from 9 o’clock. - ここから駅まで歩きます。
→ I will walk from here to the station.
📍 2. まで (made) – “Until / To”
まで indicates an end point, whether in time, place, or action. It often pairs with から to express a range.
🧠 Structure:
[End point] + まで
🔍 Examples:
- 学校は3時までです。
→ School is until 3 o’clock. - 駅まで走りました。
→ I ran to the station. - 家から会社まで1時間かかります。
→ It takes 1 hour from home to the office.
📍 3. より (yori) – “Than / From (formal)”
より is mainly used for comparisons (“than”) or sometimes formally to mean “from” (especially in letters).
🧠 Structure (comparison):
[A] は [B] より + [adjective/verb]
🔍 Examples (comparison):
- 犬より猫が好きです。
→ I like cats more than dogs. - 今年は去年より暑いです。
→ This year is hotter than last year.
🔍 Example (formal “from”):
- 山田より
→ From Yamada (used at the end of letters)
✅ Tip: より is often used with よりも for extra emphasis.
📍 4. や (ya) – “And” (non-exhaustive list)
や means “and” but implies there are other items not mentioned. It is used to list a few examples, especially with nouns.
🧠 Structure:
[Noun A] や [Noun B]
🔍 Examples:
- りんごやバナナを食べました。
→ I ate apples and bananas (and more). - 教科書やノートを買いました。
→ I bought textbooks, notebooks, etc.
✅ Tip: To express “and so on,” you can add など at the end: りんごやバナナなど.
📝 Summary Table
| Particle | Meaning | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| から (kara) | from | Starting point (time/place) | 東京から来ました。 |
| まで (made) | until, to | Ending point (time/place) | 3時までです。 |
| より (yori) | than, from | Comparisons or formal origin | 犬より猫が好きです。 |
| や (ya) | and (non-exhaustive) | Lists examples (nouns only) | りんごやバナナ |
🌸 Conclusion
Understanding how to use から, まで, より, and や is essential for building natural Japanese sentences. These grammar particles are simple to learn but powerful in expressing time, comparison, range, and lists. Whether you’re preparing for the JLPT or speaking with native speakers, mastering these will boost your confidence and fluency.
📚 Keep practicing with more examples and try using them in your own sentences. Want to explore more particles? Don’t miss our guides on は, が, に, and を!