も

particle

also, too, even

grammatical

1. also, too

Indicates that something applies to an additional item or person. Replaces は, が, or を. 私(わたし)も行(い)きます (I'll go too).

私(わたし)も行(い)く。

I'll go too.

これも買(か)いたい。

I want to buy this too.

私(わたし)も日本語(にほんご)を勉強(べんきょう)しています。

I'm also studying Japanese.

東京(とうきょう)にも行(い)きました。

I also went to Tokyo.

彼(かれ)が行(い)くなら、私(わたし)も行(い)きたいと思(おも)っている。

If he's going, I want to go too.

2. even

Emphasizes an extreme or unexpected case. 子供(こども)でも分(わ)かる (even a child can understand).

子供(こども)でも分(わ)かる。

Even a child can understand.

誰(だれ)も来(こ)なかった。

Nobody came.

何(なに)も食(た)べていない。

I haven't eaten anything.

どこにも行(い)きたくない。

I don't want to go anywhere.

彼(かれ)は一度(いちど)も遅刻(ちこく)したことがない。本当(ほんとう)に真面目(まじめ)な人(ひと)だ。

He has never been late even once. He's a really serious person.

3. both...and, neither...nor

Used in pairs to mean 'both' (AもBも) or with negatives for 'neither.' 犬(いぬ)も猫(ねこ)も好(す)き (I like both dogs and cats).

犬(いぬ)も猫(ねこ)も好(す)き。

I like both dogs and cats.

お茶(ちゃ)もコーヒーもあります。

We have both tea and coffee.

肉(にく)も魚(さかな)も食(た)べない。

I eat neither meat nor fish.

日本語(にほんご)も英語(えいご)もできる。

I can speak both Japanese and English.

彼(かれ)は歌(うた)もダンスも上手(じょうず)で、将来(しょうらい)スターになりたいと言(い)っている。

He's good at both singing and dancing, and says he wants to become a star in the future.

4. as many as, as much as

Emphasizes a large quantity. 三時間(さんじかん)も待(ま)った (waited for as long as 3 hours).

三時間(さんじかん)も待(ま)った。

I waited for as long as three hours.

十(じゅっ)回(かい)も失敗(しっぱい)した。

I failed as many as ten times.

百万円(ひゃくまんえん)もした。

It cost as much as a million yen.

もう五年(ごねん)も日本(にほん)に住(す)んでいる。

I've been living in Japan for as long as five years already.

この本(ほん)は三千円(さんぜんえん)もするけど、内容(ないよう)がとても良(よ)いので買(か)う価値(かち)がある。

This book costs as much as 3000 yen, but the content is very good so it's worth buying.

も is a versatile particle meaning 'also/too/even.' It interacts with other particles in specific ways.

Functions

も has three core roles:

also / too — adds an item to what was already mentioned (AもBも = both)
even — marks something surprising or extreme (数量(すうりょう)+も = 'as many as')
question word + も + negative — forms 'nobody/nothing/nowhere' (誰(だれ)も…ない)

Particle behavior

Replaces は, が, を: 私(わたし)も行(い)く
Attaches after に, で, と, から, まで: 東京(とうきょう)にも行(い)った

QUESTION WORD + も + NEGATIVE:

誰(だれ)も...ない: nobody
何(なに)も...ない: nothing
どこも...ない: nowhere
いつも: always (exception - positive)

Common patterns

AもBも: both A and B
AもBも + negative: neither A nor B
数量(すうりょう)+も: as many as (emphasis)
一(いち)〜も + negative: not even one

も

Functions

Particle behavior

Common patterns

Related Words