共Particles: where, when and who

Together with

と marks the person you do something with, and the other side of things that take two.

All lessons

Doing something together

A と: with A

友(とも)だちと映画(えいが)を見(み)ます。Tomodachi to eiga o mimasu.

I'll see a movie with a friend.

家族(かぞく)と一緒(いっしょ)に住(す)んでいます。Kazoku to issho ni sunde imasu.

I live with my family.

一緒に adds “together”.

山田(やまだ)さんと話(はな)しました。Yamada-san to hanashimashita.

I talked with Yamada.

Verbs that take two

Some actions need another side

彼(かれ)は田中(たなか)さんと結婚(けっこん)しました。Kare wa Tanaka-san to kekkon shimashita.

He married Tanaka.

弟(おとうと)とけんかしました。Otouto to kenka shimashita.

I had a fight with my younger brother.

娘(むすめ)は母親(ははおや)とよく似(に)ています。Musume wa hahaoya to yoku nite imasu.

My daughter really looks like her mother.

この色(いろ)はあれと違(ちが)います。Kono iro wa are to chigaimasu.

This color is different from that one.

と or に?

Both sides, or just one?

友(とも)だちと話(はな)します。Tomodachi to hanashimasu.

I talk with a friend.

It goes both ways.

友(とも)だちに話(はな)します。Tomodachi ni hanashimasu.

I tell a friend.

It goes one way.

Crash

Who moved?

車(くるま)がトラックとぶつかりました。Kuruma ga torakku to butsukarimashita.

A car and a truck collided.

Both were moving.

車(くるま)が壁(かべ)にぶつかりました。Kuruma ga kabe ni butsukarimashita.

A car hit a wall.

Only the car was moving.

Swapping viewpoints

You can flip the people around

With と, the two people can trade places without changing the facts: 兄は田中さんと結婚した and 田中さんは兄と結婚した describe the same wedding, from different viewpoints.

Don't confuse this with the listing と. In 兄と姉は来ました, “My brother and sister came”, と links two nouns and both are the subject.

Check yourself

What is と doing?

母(はは)と買(か)い物(もの)に行(い)きます。Haha to kaimono ni ikimasu.

Your turn

と or に?

姉(あね)__電話(でんわ)で話(はな)しました。Ane denwa de hanashimashita.

I talked with my sister on the phone.

Say it yourself

Weekend plans

A coworker asks what you're doing this weekend. You're going hiking with your friend, and your sister looks a lot like her.

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Builds on

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