Particle も (also/too) in Japanese

Overview

The particle も (mo) is one of the most useful particles in Japanese. It means "also," "too," or "as well," and it works by replacing other particles like は (wa), が (ga), or を (wo). This simple substitution lets you quickly add information that mirrors or extends what was already said.

At the A1 level, も is also your gateway to expressing "nothing," "nobody," and "nowhere" when combined with question words and a negative verb. This pattern is straightforward but extremely common in everyday Japanese, so learning it early gives you a significant boost.

How It Works

Basic replacement pattern

も replaces the particles は, が, and を. It does not replace に, で, へ, or other particles — instead, it attaches after them.

Original	With も	Meaning
私は学生です	私も学生です	I am also a student
猫がいます	猫もいます	There is also a cat
パンを食べます	パンも食べます	I eat bread too
東京に行きます	東京にも行きます	I also go to Tokyo
公園で遊びます	公園でも遊びます	I also play in the park

Question word + も + negative = "no-/nothing/nobody"

Pattern	Reading	Meaning
何も + neg.	nani mo	nothing
誰も + neg.	dare mo	nobody
どこも + neg.	doko mo	nowhere
いつも + neg.	itsu mo	never (lit. not always)

Note: いつも without a negative means "always."

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
私も学生です。(watashi mo gakusei desu.)	I am also a student.	も replaces は
これも買います。(kore mo kaimasu.)	I'll buy this too.	も replaces を
何もありません。(nani mo arimasen.)	There is nothing.	Question word + も + negative
誰も来ませんでした。(dare mo kimasen deshita.)	Nobody came.	Question word + も + negative
犬も猫も好きです。(inu mo neko mo suki desu.)	I like both dogs and cats.	も...も = both...and
どこも行きませんでした。(doko mo ikimasen deshita.)	I didn't go anywhere.	Nowhere pattern
田中さんも日本人です。(Tanaka-san mo nihonjin desu.)	Tanaka-san is also Japanese.	Adding similar info
コーヒーも紅茶も飲みます。(koohii mo koucha mo nomimasu.)	I drink both coffee and tea.	Both...and pattern
週末は何もしませんでした。(shuumatsu wa nani mo shimasen deshita.)	I didn't do anything on the weekend.	Nothing pattern
私も行きたいです。(watashi mo ikitai desu.)	I want to go too.	Expressing shared desire

Common Mistakes

Keeping は or を alongside も

• Wrong: 私はも学生です。
• Right: 私も学生です。
• Why: も replaces は, が, and を. You do not stack them together.

Forgetting the negative verb with question word + も

• Wrong: 何もあります。 (intending "there is nothing")
• Right: 何もありません。
• Why: Question word + も requires a negative verb to create the "nothing/nobody" meaning. Without the negative, the sentence is ungrammatical.

Using も instead of は for a new, unrelated topic

• Wrong: 昨日は暑かったです。今日も寒いです。 (when today's weather is different, not similar)
• Right: 昨日は暑かったです。今日は寒いです。
• Why: も implies similarity or addition. If today is a contrasting topic rather than a similar one, use は.

Practice Tips

• When describing your daily routine, look for places to use も: "I also eat lunch at noon," "I also study in the evening." This builds the habit of spotting parallel information.
• Practice the question word + も + negative pattern by answering questions negatively: 何を食べましたか？→ 何も食べませんでした。 This is a very common conversational pattern.
• Use the も...も pattern to talk about your preferences: things you both like, places you have both visited, etc.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Particles は/が/を/に — understanding the particles that も replaces