Translation and Meaning of: と - to

The Japanese word と [to] is one of the most fundamental and frequently used particles in the language. If you are learning Japanese, you have certainly come across it in basic sentences or even in more complex dialogues. In this article, we will explore its meaning, common uses, and how it fits into the grammatical structure of Japanese. Moreover, we will look at some curiosities about how this small particle can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

If you have already used the Suki Nihongo dictionary, you know that it is a great tool for understanding words and particles like と. Here, we go beyond simple translation and dive into the details that make this particle so essential for communication in Japan. Shall we begin?

The basic meaning and usage of と

The particle と has as its main function to indicate companionship or connection between elements. In English, it can be translated as "and" or "with," depending on the context. For example, in the phrase "りんごとバナナ" (ringo to banana), it means "apple and banana," joining the two items in a list.

Another common use is to express joint action, as in "友達と映画を見た" (tomodachi to eiga o mita), which means "I watched a movie with a friend." Note how と establishes a relationship between the mentioned people or objects, creating a clear connection in the sentence.

The origin and evolution of と

Linguistic studies indicate that と comes from ancient Japanese, where it already served similar functions to the current ones. Unlike many particles that have undergone significant changes over the centuries, と has maintained its form and basic use practically unchanged since the Heian period (794-1185).

Interestingly, research shows that と is one of the oldest particles still in continuous use in modern Japanese. Its simplicity and versatility explain why it has stood the test of time, appearing even in some of Japan's oldest texts.

Tips for using と correctly

A common confusion among students is when to use と instead of other particles like や (ya) or に (ni). Remember: と indicates a complete list or a specific joint action, while や suggests an incomplete list. For example, "本とノート" (hon to nōto) specifically means "book and notebook," without other implied items.

To better memorize, try to associate と with the symbol of a link or chain, as it always connects elements in a direct and explicit way. Another tip is to pay attention to dialogues in anime or Japanese dramas, where と appears frequently in everyday conversations.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 無論 (muron) - Without a doubt
• 当然 (touzen) - Naturally; Of course
• なんといっても (nanto ittemo) - In any case; Above all
• そうだろう (sou darou) - That's not how it is, right?
• そうに決まっている (sou ni kimatteru) - Sure it is like that.
• そうだと思う (sou da to omou) - I think it's like this.
• そう思う (sou omou) - I think like this
• そうでしょう (sou deshou) - Isn't it true?
• そうですね (sou desu ne) - This is true, isn’t it?
• そうだね (sou da ne) - That's right, isn't it?
• そうだよね (sou da yo ne) - That's right, isn't it?
• そうだよな (sou da yo na) - That's right, isn't it?
• そうだな (sou da na) - Yes, that's right
• そうかな (sou kana) - Is it like this?
• そうだろうか (sou darou ka) - Is it like this?
• そうだとすれば (sou da to sureba) - If that's the case
• そうだとしたら (sou da to shitara) - If this is true
• そうなら (sou nara) - If that's the case
• そうならば (sou naraba) - If that's the case
• そういうことだ (sou iu koto da) - That's how it is
• そういうことになる (sou iu koto ni naru) - It will reach that point.
• そういうことになっている (sou iu koto ni natteiru) - It is defined like this
• そういうことになった (sou iu koto ni natta) - This happened
• そういうことになると (sou iu koto ni naru to) - If this happens
• そういうことになると思う (sou iu koto ni naru to omou) - I think it's going to be like this.

と

Romaji: to
Kana: と
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: 1. if (conjunction); 2. Promoted pawn (shogi) (ABBR)

Meaning in English: 1. if (conjunction); 2. promoted pawn (shogi) (abbr)

Definition: "To" is a conjunction that expresses a connection between sentences or words.

Example Sentences - (と) to

See below some example sentences:

私の職場はとても忙しいです。

Watashi no shokuba wa totemo isogashii desu

My workplace is very busy.

My workplace is very busy.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession or relationship between two things
• 職場 (shokuba) - noun meaning "workplace"
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 忙しい (isogashii) - adjective meaning "busy" or "agitated"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the present tense and formality of the sentence

私の息子はとてもかわいいです。

Watashi no musuko wa totemo kawaii desu

My son is very cute.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case "mine"
• 息子 (musuko) - noun that means "son"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "my son"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• かわいい (kawaii) - adjective meaning "cute" or "pretty"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the present tense and formality of the sentence

私の伯父はとても親切です。

Watashi no oji wa totemo shinsetsu desu

My uncle is very kind.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle indicating possession, equivalent to "de" in Portuguese
• 伯父 (oji) - noun meaning "paternal uncle"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, equivalent to "é" in Portuguese
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 親切 (shinsetsu) - adjective meaning "kind", "gentle"
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the existence or quality of the subject, equivalent to "ser" or "estar" in Portuguese

私の姪はとても可愛いです。

Watashi no mei wa totemo kawaii desu

My niece is very cute.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case, "mine"
• 姪 (mei) - noun that means "niece"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "niece"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 可愛い (kawaii) - adjective that means "cute" or "pretty"
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the formality of the sentence

私の親父はとても頑固です。

Watashi no oyaji wa totemo ganko desu

My father is very stubborn.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case, "my"
• 親父 (oyaji) - noun that means "father"
• は (wa) - particle indicating the topic of the sentence, in this case "father"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 頑固 (ganko) - adjective meaning "stubborn"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb indicating present tense and formality, in this case "is"

私の嫁はとても美しいです。

Watashi no yome wa totemo utsukushii desu

My wife is very beautiful.

My bride is very beautiful.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle indicating possession, in this case "my"
• 嫁 (yome) - "the wife"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case "my wife"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 美しい (utsukushii) - adjective meaning "beautiful"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite and respectful way of speaking, in this case "is"

私の部屋はとてもきれいです。

Watashi no heya wa totemo kirei desu

My room is very clean.

My room is very beautiful.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case, "mine"
• 部屋 (heya) - noun that means "room"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "room"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• きれい (kirei) - adjective meaning "beautiful, clean"
• です (desu) - verb that indicates to be or to exist, in this case, "is"

私の従姉妹はとても美しいです。

Watashi no jōshimai wa totemo utsukushii desu

My cousin is very beautiful.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case, "mine"
• 従姉妹 (joushimai) - noun meaning "second cousin"
• は (wa) - particle indicating the topic of the sentence, in this case, "my second cousin"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 美しい (utsukushii) - adjective meaning "beautiful"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the present tense and formality of the sentence

私はレストランで給仕をしています。

Watashi wa resutoran de kyuji o shiteimasu

I work as a waiter in a restaurant.

I serve in a restaurant.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• レストラン (resutoran) - word in Japanese that means "restaurant"
• で (de) - Particle that indicates the place where the action occurs
• 給仕 (kyuushi) - The word in Japanese that means "waiter/waitress" is ウェイター (weitaa) for waiter and ウェイトレス (weitoresu) for waitress.
• を (wo) - Particle indicating the direct object of the action.
• しています (shiteimasu) - verb that indicates the action of "being doing" something in the present moment

私は毎日歌うことが好きです。

Watashi wa mainichi utau koto ga suki desu

I like to sing every day.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - topic particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 毎日 (mainichi) - adverb meaning "every day"
• 歌う (utau) - verb meaning "to sing"
• こと (koto) - noun that means "thing"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 好き (suki) - adjective meaning "to like"
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the formality of the sentence