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:

私は神様が私たちの人生を司ると信じています。

Watashi wa kamisama ga watashitachi no jinsei o tsukasadoru to shinjite imasu

I believe God will control our lives.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 神様 (kamisama) - noun that means "god"
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence, in this case, "god"
• 私たち (watashitachi) - personal pronoun meaning "we"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, in this case, "our"
• 人生 (jinsei) - substantive that means "life"
• を (wo) - particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "life"
• 司る (tsukasadoru) - verb that means "to govern" or "to control"
• と (to) - particle that indicates direct quotation, in this case, "that"
• 信じています (shinjiteimasu) - verb that means "to believe" or "to have faith" conjugated in the affirmative present

私は日本語を話すことができます。

Watashi wa nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu

I can speak Japanese.

I can speak Japanese.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 日本語 (nihongo) - noun meaning "Japanese" or "Japanese language"
• を (wo) - Particle indicating the direct object of the sentence
• 話す (hanasu) - verb meaning "to talk" or "to converse"
• こと (koto) - noun indicating an abstract action or event
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• できます (dekimasu) - verb meaning "to be able to" or "to be able to"

私は糸を接ぐことができます。

Watashi wa ito o tsugu koto ga dekimasu

I can sew wires together.

I can get a topic.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 糸 (ito) - noun that means "line" or "thread"
• を (wo) - Particle indicating the direct object of the sentence
• 接ぐ (tsugu) - verb that means "to unite" or "to join"
• こと (koto) - noun indicating an abstract action or event
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• できます (dekimasu) - verb meaning "to be able to" or "to be able to"

私は彼女に仕えることを決めました。

Watashi wa kanojo ni tsukaeru koto o kimemashita

I decided to serve her.

I decided to serve it.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that marks the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• 彼女 (kanojo) - noun meaning "her" or "girlfriend"
• に (ni) - particle that indicates the target of the action, in this case, "for her"
• 仕える (tsukaeru) - The word is "serve" or "work for"
• こと (koto) - noun that indicates an action or event, in this case, "to serve"
• を (wo) - particle that indicates the direct object of the action, in this case, "to serve"
• 決めました (kimemashita) - verb that means "decide" in the past, in this case, "I decided (to serve her)"

私は仕事と家庭を兼ねることができます。

Watashi wa shigoto to katei wo kaneru koto ga dekimasu

I can reconcile work and family.

I can serve as work and home.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that marks the topic of the sentence
• 仕事 (shigoto) - noun that means "work"
• と (to) - particle indicating a connection between two things
• 家庭 (katei) - noun meaning "family" or "home"
• を (wo) - Particle that marks the direct object of the sentence
• 兼ねる (kaneru) - verb meaning "to reconcile" or "to bring together"
• ことができます (koto ga dekimasu) - expression that indicates ability or capacity, meaning "to be able to"

私の姉妹はとても仲が良いです。

Watashi no shimai wa totemo naka ga yoi desu

My sisters are very close.

• 私 (watashi) - signifies "I" in Japanese
• の (no) - possession particle in Japanese, indicating that the next word is possessed by "me"
• 姉妹 (shimai) - means "sisters" in Japanese
• は (wa) - topic particle in Japanese, indicating that the subject of the sentence is "sisters"
• とても (totemo) - adverb in Japanese, meaning "a lot"
• 仲 (naka) - means "relationship" in Japanese
• が (ga) - subject particle in Japanese, indicating that "relationship" is the subject of the sentence
• 良い (yoi) - Japanese adjective meaning "good"
• です (desu) - verb to be in Japanese, indicating that the sentence is in the present tense and is affirmative

私の家族はとても大切です。

Watashi no kazoku wa totemo taisetsu desu

My family is very important to me.

My family is very important.

• 私 (watashi) - signifies "I" in Japanese
• の (no) - possession particle in Japanese, indicating that "my" family home
• 家族 (kazoku) - means "family" in Japanese
• は (wa) - topic particle in Japanese, indicating that "the family" is the subject of the sentence
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very" in Japanese
• 大切 (taisetsu) - adjective meaning "important" or "precious" in Japanese
• です (desu) - verb to be in Japanese, indicating "is" important to my family

私の部屋はとても静かです。

Watashi no heya wa totemo shizuka desu

My room is very quiet.

My room is very quiet.

• 私 (watashi) - means "I" in Japanese.
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, equivalent to "of" in Portuguese.
• 部屋 (heya) - "Quarto" significa "部屋" (heya) em japonês.
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, equivalent to "it is about" in Portuguese.
• とても (totemo) - adverb that means "very" in Japanese.
• 静か (shizuka) - The adjective that means "silent" in Japanese is 静かな (shizukana).
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the existence or quality of the subject, equivalent to "is" or "are" in English.

私の姉はとても優しいです。

Watashi no ane wa totemo yasashii desu

My older sister is very kind.

My sister is very kind.

• 私 (watashi) - signifies "I" in Japanese
• の (no) - particle indicating possession, in this case "my"
• 姉 (ane) - means "older sister" in Japanese
• は (wa) - particle indicating the topic of the sentence, in this case "my sister"
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 優しい (yasashii) - adjective meaning "gentle" or "kind"
• です (desu) - linking verb that indicates the state or quality of the subject, in this case "is"

私の妹はとても可愛いです。

Watashi no imouto wa totemo kawaii desu

My younger sister is very cute.

My sister is very cute.

• 私 (watashi) - signifies "I" in Japanese
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession or relationship between two things
• 妹 (imouto) - It means "younger sister" in Japanese.
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 可愛い (kawaii) - adjective that means "cute" or "pretty"
• です (desu) - The verb "to be" in Japanese, used to indicate the formality of the sentence.