LLearn Japanese

what’s the difference between 日本語を話せます, 日本語が話せます and 日本語は話せます?

what difference does the particles は、が、and を make in this sentence?

5 comments

  1. Apologies if im wrong, but i believe は and が are the same, whilst を would be referring to an action.

  2. を would make grammar purists go riot, but generally it’s fine

    が correct

    は for contrast

  4. So people keep saying を is “technically incorrect but…” and it’s such a common talking point it gets brought up in every single thread like this one.

    を is not incorrect. It’s not ungrammatical “but…”. It’s not wrong. Teachers or grammar “purists” won’t scold you for using it. I don’t know why this is said so many times, it’s just not true.

    If anything [を話せる](https://massif.la/ja/search?q=%22%E3%82%92%E8%A9%B1%E3%81%9B%E3%82%8B%22) is [more common than が話せる](https://massif.la/ja/search?q=%22%E3%81%8C%E8%A9%B1%E3%81%9B%E3%82%8B%22) in many contexts (note that in the second link most が results are pointing to the subject like 私が話せる).

    It’s been probably a hundred years (or more) now, を + potential **is** a thing. It’s grammatical. It’s part of the grammar and part of how the language works. We can stop perpetrating this myth of “it’s ungrammatical but…”.

    Same thing for を + たい, を + 好き, etc.

  5. ToKiniAndy once explained は vs が as where it’s putting the emphasis.

    * 日本語が話せます puts emphasis on the left (日本語)
    * 本語は話せます puts emphasis on the right (話せます)

    Emphasis can completely change meaning

    * today YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL (compliment)
    * TODAY you look beautiful (backhanded compliment)

    [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytjRoTwWnzw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytjRoTwWnzw)

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