The less common particles that give Japanese its nuance: ずつ (each), ごと (every), こそ (precisely), すら (even), なんか and など (such things), って (as for), ばかり, ほど, だけ, でも, まで. Short entries for fast recognition.
About 5 minutes to read
These particles appear in novels, essays and spoken Japanese all the time. You do not need to master them; you need to recognise them and know roughly what each adds.
ずつ: each, at a time
Quantity + ずつ = "each, at a time":
一人one personずつeach話してspeakください
Please speak one at a time.
毎日every day少しa littleずつat a time勉強するstudy
I study a little each day.
二個twoずつeach配ったdistributed
I gave out two each.
ごと: every, including
Noun + ごと = "every, each": 一年ごと (every year), 家ごと (house by house). Noun + ごと (no space, after a verb stem or noun) = "including the...":
りんごを皮skinごとincluding食べたate
I ate the apple, skin and all.
こそ: precisely, emphatically
こそ is an emphatic particle: "this very...". It is used to stress what you are picking out.
今年this yearこそthis very合格passする
This year, I'll pass for sure.
こちらthisこそ(emphasis)よろしくpleaseお願いしますask
No, it's I who should say that. (answer to よろしくお願いします)
君youこそprecisely適任right personだ
You're exactly the right person.
すら, さえ: even
Both mean "even" in a stronger sense than でも:
子供childでさえeven知っているknows
Even children know that.
自分oneselfの名前nameすらeven忘れたforgot
I forgot even my own name.
さえ〜ば = "if only": 時間さえあれば (if only I had time).
なんか, なんて: such things (belittling or surprised)
なんか (casual) and なんて (casual or emotional) point at something and often downplay it or show surprise:
私Iなんかsomeone like meにできないcan't do
Someone like me can't do it.
彼heが来るcomeなんて(surprise)思わなかったdidn't think
I never thought he'd come.
勉強studyなんてsuch a thing as嫌いdislikeだ
I hate things like studying.
Be careful: なんか can also be filler, like "like, you know": なんか、変だよね ("it's, like, strange").
って: as for / called
って is the casual version of という and は for introducing a topic:
田中Tanakaってcalled人person知ってknowる
Do you know a person called Tanaka?
日本語Japaneseってas for難しいdifficultね
Japanese is hard, isn't it.
ばかり: only, always
彼heはゲームばかりnothing butしている
He does nothing but play games.
ほど: extent
彼heほど優しいkind人personはいない
There is no one as kind as him.
まで: even
まで (after a noun) can mean "even", expressing surprise at how far something went:
子供childrenまでeven働いてworkいる
Even children are working.
Quick table
Particle
Core meaning
Example
ずつ
each
二個ずつ
ごと
every; including
一年ごと / 皮ごと
こそ
precisely
今年こそ
すら
even
名前すら
さえ
even; if only
子供でさえ / 時間さえあれば
なんか
such as (belittling)
私なんか
なんて
such a thing (surprise)
来るなんて
って
called; as for (casual)
田中って人
ばかり
only; just
ゲームばかり
まで
even; up to
子供まで
Longer sentences
The small particles carry emotion and emphasis. Read the dramatic passage and decide what each one adds.
今年こそthis year for sure合格するぞと"I'll pass!" (quote)毎日every day少しずつlittle by little勉強してきたのにthough I've been studying当日はon the day緊張のあまりfrom sheer nervousness自分のmy own名前さえeven my name書き間違えてmiswrote and私なんかsomeone like meどうせanywayだめなんだとam hopeless (quote)思ってしまったended up thinking
I had resolved "This year I'll pass!" and had studied a little each day, but on the day I was so nervous that I wrote even my own name wrong, and I ended up thinking that someone like me is hopeless anyway.
An admiring passage
彼はhe何をwhateverやらせてもeven if you make him do人のothers'倍はdoubleこなすhandles人でis a person who and一日にa day十冊ten booksずつeach本をbooks読みreads and三日three daysごとにevery新しいnew趣味をhobby始めstarts andそれでいてand yet忙しさをbusynessこぼすことすらeven complaining aboutないdoesn't
私なんかsomeone like me一つのone仕事をjobこなすだけでjust handling精一杯なのにis all I can do though彼にはcompared to himとてもby no meansかなわないcan't match
He is the kind of person who handles twice as much as anyone else no matter what he's given: he reads ten books a day, starts a new hobby every three days, and yet doesn't so much as complain about how busy he is.
Someone like me can barely manage a single job, so I can't possibly match him.
Key points
ずつ each; ごと every / including.
こそ precisely; すら, さえ even.
なんか / なんて belittle or show surprise.
って is a casual topic or quote marker.
Drill these patterns
Short example sentences for the points in this lesson: