Particles · N5–N4

と: and, with, and quotation

One particle with several related but distinct jobs.

In short

と can join a complete list of nouns, mark the person you do something with, or mark quoted/thought content before verbs such as 言う and 思う.

How it works

パンと卵 means “bread and eggs”; 友達と行きます means “go with a friend”; 行くと思います means “I think (someone) will go”.

Useful contrast

The quotation use attaches to the quoted clause, not to a noun list.

Examples

母と話します。
I talk with my mother.
明日行くと思います。
I think I will go tomorrow.

Common pitfall

When listing examples rather than a complete set, や is often more appropriate than と.

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