象は鼻が長い。Elephants have a long nose.「が」の使い方(4)

We have already learned 3 usages of が as follows:

(1) Adhesive

彼女が歩くのを見た。I saw her walk.

(かのじょが あるくのを みた。)

「が」 sticks 「彼女(かのじょ)」 and 「歩く(あるく)の」 together and makes a noun clause.

The subject ‘I’ of 見た is hidden. If you put a comma, it should be: 彼女が歩くのを、見た。

彼女が歩くのを見た。I saw her walk(ing).

Cf. 彼女(かのじょ)は歩く(あるく)のを見た(みた)。She saw him/her walk.

The writer talks about 彼女. The subject of 見た should be 彼女 in this sentence.

歩くの is the object of 見た. If you put a comma, it should be: 彼女は、歩くのを見た。

(2) Discover a fact or a phenomenon

桜が美しい。The cherry blossoms look beautiful.

(さくらが うつくしい。)

The writer wants you to know that he/she finds, like a discovery, that the cherry blossoms he/she sees are beautiful.

桜のトンネルが美しい。 The tunnel of cherry blossoms looks beautiful.

Cf. 桜(さくら)は美しい(うつくしい)。The cherry blossoms look beautiful. / Cherry blossoms are beautiful.

桜 is already in question and the writer gives the answer.

Another case may be that the writer talks about cherry blossoms in general, not particular cherry blossoms.

(3) Show the object of some particular verbs, adjectives and nouns.

読書（どくしょ）is to read a book.

本が読みたい。 I want to read a book.

(ほんがよみたい。)

What I want to read is a book.

Cf. 本を読みたい。 I want to read a book.

What I want to do is to read a book.

I’d like to review the above (2) usage of が once again here with some examples and in comparison with は.

Imagine that you hear an anchorman report the following news on TV. Do you recognize the difference between the は sentence and が?

は: 首相は17日午後6時、成田空港に到着しました。

(しゅしょうは じゅうななにち ごごろくじ、なりたくうこうに とうちゃくしました。)

The prime minister arrived at Narita International Airport at 6 p.m. on the 17th.

着陸(ちゃくりく) is landing.

が: 首相が17日午後6時、成田空港に到着しました。

(しゅしょうが じゅうななにち ごごろくじ、なりたくうこうに とうちゃくしました。)

The prime minister arrived at Narita International Airport at 6 p.m. on the 17th.

When the anchorman said the は sentence, the prime minister was already on the topic on the news. The anchorman had spoken of the prime minister. Then he reported on his arrival on the 17th.

On the other hand, the が sentence deals with the news on the prime minister for the first time during his part of the reports.

A story may begin like this:

むかしむかし、ある村に女の人がいた。その女の人は、小さい家に一人で住んでいた。

雪に埋もれた小屋 (ゆきに うもれた こや) A cottage in the snow

(むかしむかし、あるむらに おんなの ひとが いた。その おんなの ひとは、ちいさい いえに ひとりで すんでいた。)

Once upon a time, there lived a woman in a village . She lived alone in a small house.

が introduces a topic. The writer or speaker tells readers or listeners about new information. Then the topic continues with は.

私(わたし)は田中(たなか)です。 I’m Tanaka.

私(わたし)が田中(たなか)です。 I’m Tanaka.

The は sentence is used when it’s time for you to introduce yourself. It’s your turn. They want to know who you are. The question is who you are. The answer is Tanaka.

Q: 私

A: 田中

名刺交換（めいし こうかん）: It's indispensable to exchange name cards in a business scene in Japan.

Then, when is 「私が田中です」 used?

The situation is that they know there is a Tanaka. They want to know who the Tanaka is. Then you say 「私が田中です」. The answer is me.

Q: 田中

A: 私

きのう田中(たなか)は来た(きた)。 Tanaka came yesterday.

きのう田中(たなか)が来た(きた)。 Tanaka came yesterday.

The は sentence shows that Tanaka was in question. They talked about Tanaka and wanted to know what had come with him.

Or the writer wants to talk about other persons next.

きのうは誰が来た？(きのうは だれが きた？) Who came yesterday?

田中(たなか)は来た(きた)。しかし佐藤(さとう)は来(こ)なかった。

Tanaka came but Sato didn’t.

In the above sentence, は is used to show the contrast between Tanaka and Sato.

In the が sentence 田中が来た, the writer or speaker tells the reader or listener about the new information that Tanaka came.

象(ぞう)は鼻(はな)が長い(ながい)。 Elephants have a long snout.

は shows that your topic to talk about is 象.

Then you give the new information that its snout is long.

が has some more usages but let me finish the series now.

I hope I will have another opportunity to discuss them.