も

Also/too

Level 1Sounds Like mo

Use も when you want to say 'also' or 'too'. It indicates that the noun it follows shares the same property as something previously mentioned.

How It Works

1. Basic Inclusion
The most common use of も is to add a new item to a group that shares a characteristic. If you say 'A is X' and then 'B も X', you are saying B is also X.
Example: 田中（たなか）さんは学生（がくせい）です。私（わたし）も学生です。(Tanaka is a student. I am also a student.)

2. Particle Replacement Rules
When using も, you must follow these rules:

  • Replaces: は and が. In standard modern Japanese, it also typically replaces を, though you may see をも in very formal or literary writing for emphasis.
  • Stacks: It follows particles like に, で, から, まで, と, and へ.

3. Both A and B (AもBも)
You can use も〜も to group two items together.

  • Positive: Both A and B. (犬も猫も好きです。 I like both dogs and cats.)
  • Negative: Neither A nor B. (肉も魚も食べません。 I eat neither meat nor fish.)

4. Question Word + も
When paired with a question word, も creates different meanings depending on the word and the verb:

  • Negative Verb: Creates 'none' meanings. 何もありません (There is nothing) / 誰もいません (There is nobody). Note that question words can stack with particles, such as どこにも or どこへも (nowhere).
  • Positive Verb: Certain words like いつも (always) are used in positive sentences. どこも can be used positively (everywhere) or negatively (nowhere). Note: Do not use 誰も or 何も with positive verbs to mean 'everyone' or 'everything'. Instead, use Question Word + でも (誰でも, 何でも, どこでも) or words like みんな/すべて. An exception is 誰もが, which can be used with positive verbs to mean 'everyone' (e.g., 誰もが知（し）っています).

5. Emphasis with Quantities
When used with quantities, it can mean 'as many as' or 'as much as', emphasizing a large amount. Conversely, using the pattern [Number 1 + Counter] + も with a negative verb means 'not even one'.
Example: 一人（ひとり）もいません。(There is not even one person.)

6. Emphasis ("Even")
も can also be used to mean "even," expressing surprise or emphasizing an extreme example.
Example: 子供（こども）も知（し）っています。(Even a child knows that.)

7. With Verbs and Adjectives
も can also attach to the て-form of verbs and adjectives (e.g., 食べてもいい, 安くもない), which is often taught as a separate grammar pattern.

Examples (4)

  1. 田中さんは日本人です。鈴木さんも日本人です。

    Mr. Tanaka is Japanese. Mr. Suzuki is also Japanese.

    Word by Word: Tanaka (topic) Japanese is. Suzuki also Japanese is.

    Here, も replaces the topic marker は to show that Suzuki shares the same nationality as Tanaka.

  2. お茶を飲みます。水も飲みます。

    I drink tea. I also drink water.

    Word by Word: Tea (object) drink. Water also drink.

    In this case, も replaces the object marker を. It shows that water is another thing being drunk.

  3. 東京に行きました。京都にも行きました。

    I went to Tokyo. I also went to Kyoto.

    Word by Word: Tokyo to went. Kyoto to-also went.

    When used with the destination particle に, も stacks on top of it to become にも.

  4. 何も食べませんでした。

    I didn't eat anything.

    Word by Word: What-also eat-did-not.

    When paired with a question word like 何（なに） and a negative verb, も creates a 'nothing' or 'no one' meaning.

Common Mistakes

  • Using も together with は or が.

    私はも学生です。
    私も学生です。

    In standard Japanese, the particle も replaces は and が entirely. You should not use them side-by-side in daily conversation.

  • Using 'anything' (何も) with a positive verb.

    何も食べました。
    何でも食べました。

    To say 'I ate anything/everything', you use 何でも. 何も（なにも） must be followed by a negative verb to mean 'I didn't eat anything'.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

もLevel 1Also/too

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

And 13 more in the full list.

Words in This Pattern