や – Listing Examples with “And, Among Others” in Japanese [JLPT N5]

Quick Summary

• Meaning: や connects two or more nouns and means “and” or “among other things.” It shows that your list is not complete.
• How to Use: Put や between nouns you want to list, and add など (nado, etc.) if you want to make “etc.” very clear.

Example:

• 部屋に本やゲームがあります。
• Heya ni hon ya gēmu ga arimasu.
• There are books, games, and other things in the room.

Overview

The particle や is a simple but very useful way to say “and” in Japanese when you are listing examples, not everything. It usually connects nouns like “cat,” “dog,” “pizza,” “computer,” and so on.

When you use や, you are saying “things like A and B” or “A, B, and so on.” The listener understands that there are probably more items in the list, but you don’t say all of them.

Compare these two ideas:

• Complete list: “A and B and C (only these)”
• Examples only: “A and B (and other things, maybe C, D…)”

The particle や is for the second case: it gives examples. Because of this, it often sounds a bit softer or more casual than listing everything, and it is very natural in conversation when you don’t need to be super exact.

Some key points to remember:

• や usually connects nouns: people, objects, places, times, etc.
• It often appears with など (nado, and so on / etc.), but など is optional.
• It does not connect verbs or adjectives at N5 level. For verbs and adjectives, other grammar is used.

Here is a quirky example to feel the nuance of や:

• 冷蔵庫にケーキやスイカがあります。
• Reizōko ni kēki ya suika ga arimasu.
• There is cake, watermelon, and other things in the fridge.

You can imagine maybe juice, pudding, or something else is there too—but you don’t say all of it. That “maybe more” feeling is exactly what や gives you.

Structure / Formation

Basic Pattern

The core pattern of や is very simple:

• N や N
• N や N や N
• N や N など
• N や N や N など

Here, N means any noun: a thing, person, place, time, etc.

Pattern	Usage	Meaning in English
N や N	Connect two example nouns	A and B (among others)
N や N や N	Connect three or more example nouns	A, B, C (and so on)
N や N など	Add など to show “etc.” clearly	A and B, etc.
N や N や N など	Longer example list with “etc.”	A, B, C, etc.

In a full sentence, や is followed by the rest of the sentence as usual:

• N や N が あります。
• N や N を かいます。
• Place に N や N が います／あります。
• Time に N や N を します。

Some short, slightly unexpected examples:

Example (things that exist in a place):

• 公園にロボットやゾンビがいます。
• Kōen ni robotto ya zonbi ga imasu.
• There are robots, zombies, and other things in the park.

Example (things you buy):

• スーパーでバナナやカレーをかいます。
• Sūpā de banana ya karē o kaimasu.
• I buy bananas, curry, and other things at the supermarket.

や vs. Other “And” Words

At N5, you will see different ways to say “and.” The most common ones for nouns are:

• と (complete list “and”)
• や (examples “and, among others”)

The difference is important:

• N と N: A and B, and that’s it. It feels like a complete list.
• N や N: A and B (and maybe other things). It feels like an incomplete list, just examples.

Compare:

• 机の上にペンとノートがあります。
• Tsukue no ue ni pen to nōto ga arimasu.
• There is a pen and a notebook on the desk. (Probably only these.)

• 机の上にペンやノートがあります。
• Tsukue no ue ni pen ya nōto ga arimasu.
• There are a pen, a notebook, and other things on the desk.

With や, the listener imagines maybe an eraser, a smartphone, or a mysterious manga about talking sushi on the desk too.

What や Can Connect

For N5, keep や simple and safe by using it mainly like this:

• N1 や N2
• Place に N1 や N2 が あります／います。
• Time に N1 や N2 を します。

Some typical noun types you can connect:

• People: 先生や学生 (sensei ya gakusei, teachers, students, and others)
• Places: 公園や図書館 (kōen ya toshokan, parks, libraries, and others)
• Objects: 本やスマホ (hon ya sumaho, books, smartphones, and others)
• Times / days: 土曜日や日曜日 (doyōbi ya nichiyōbi, Saturdays, Sundays, and other days)

Example with people:

• 学校に先生や宇宙人がいます。
• Gakkō ni sensei ya uchūjin ga imasu.
• At school there are teachers, aliens, and others.

Adding など for “etc.”

If you want to really show “etc.” or “and so on,” you can add など (nado, and so on) after your list.

• N や N など
• N や N や N など

This makes the “there are more things” feeling very clear.

Example:

• 本屋でまんがや辞書などをかいます。
• Honya de manga ya jisho nado o kaimasu.
• I buy manga, dictionaries, and so on at the bookstore.

Another example:

• 朝ごはんにパンや卵やラーメンなどを食べます。
• Asagohan ni pan ya tamago ya rāmen nado o tabemasu.
• For breakfast I eat bread, eggs, ramen, and so on.

Usage Tips

To use や correctly at N5, keep these simple tips in mind:

• Use や mainly between nouns: N や N. Don’t try to connect whole sentences with や at this level.
• Remember the “not complete” feeling: や is for examples, not full lists.
• Use と when you need to be exact: for example in rules, menus, or when you really mean “only A and B.”
• Add など when you want a clear “etc.” feeling.

Once this becomes natural, や will help you sound more flexible and more like a real Japanese speaker, even with simple N5 sentences.

Example Sentences

• 冷蔵庫にケーキやピザや納豆があります。
• Reizōko ni kēki ya piza ya nattō ga arimasu.
• In the fridge there are things like cake, pizza, and natto.

• ペットショップにドラゴンやロボットの犬がいます。
• Petto shoppu ni doragon ya robotto no inu ga imasu.
• At the pet shop there are things like dragons and robot dogs.

• 休みの日に友だちや宇宙人とゲームをします。
• Yasumi no hi ni tomodachi ya uchūjin to gēmu o shimasu.
• On my days off I play games with friends, aliens, and others.

• 図書館で日本語や魔法やゾンビの本を読みます。
• Toshokan de Nihongo ya mahō ya zonbi no hon o yomimasu.
• At the library I read books about things like Japanese, magic, and zombies.

• 朝ごはんにパンやバナナやラーメンなどを食べます。
• Asagohan ni pan ya banana ya rāmen nado o tabemasu.
• For breakfast I eat things like bread, bananas, ramen, and so on.

Quick Practice

(Answers and explanations are right under this section.)

Multiple-Choice

1. Choose the best sentence that shows an incomplete list: “On the desk there are things like a pen and a notebook.”

• A. 机の上にペンとノートがあります。(Tsukue no ue ni pen to nōto ga arimasu.)
• B. 机の上にペンやノートがあります。(Tsukue no ue ni pen ya nōto ga arimasu.)
• C. 机の上にペンでもノートでもあります。(Tsukue no ue ni pen demo nōto demo arimasu.)
• D. 机の上にペンノートやがあります。(Tsukue no ue ni pennōto ya ga arimasu.)

2. Choose the correct sentence using や: “In the room there are a TV, a sofa, and other things.”

• A. 部屋にテレビやソファーがあります。(Heya ni terebi ya sofā ga arimasu.)
• B. 部屋にテレビとソファーやあります。(Heya ni terebi to sofā ya arimasu.)
• C. 部屋にテレビやソファーとあります。(Heya ni terebi ya sofā to arimasu.)
• D. 部屋にテレビでもソファーでもあります。(Heya ni terebi demo sofā demo arimasu.)

3. Choose the sentence that clearly means “and so on / etc.” using や and など.

• A. 冷蔵庫にケーキやピザがあります。(Reizōko ni kēki ya piza ga arimasu.)
• B. 冷蔵庫にケーキとピザとなどがあります。(Reizōko ni kēki to piza to nado ga arimasu.)
• C. 冷蔵庫にケーキやピザなどがあります。(Reizōko ni kēki ya piza nado ga arimasu.)
• D. 冷蔵庫にケーキなどピザやがあります。(Reizōko ni kēki nado piza ya ga arimasu.)

4. Choose the natural sentence: “At the park there are things like dogs, cats, and robots.”

• A. 公園に犬や猫やロボットがいます。(Kōen ni inu ya neko ya robotto ga imasu.)
• B. 公園に犬と猫とロボットやいます。(Kōen ni inu to neko to robotto ya imasu.)
• C. 公園に犬や猫とロボットがあります。(Kōen ni inu ya neko to robotto ga arimasu.)
• D. 公園に犬や猫やロボットをいます。(Kōen ni inu ya neko ya robotto o imasu.)

5. Choose the correct sentence about what you buy: “At the convenience store I buy things like onigiri and juice.”

• A. コンビニでおにぎりやジュースをかいます。(Konbini de onigiri ya jūsu o kaimasu.)
• B. コンビニでおにぎりとジュースやをかいます。(Konbini de onigiri to jūsu ya o kaimasu.)
• C. コンビニでおにぎりやジュースなどかいます。(Konbini de onigiri ya jūsu nado kaimasu.)
• D. コンビニでおにぎりやジュースがかいます。(Konbini de onigiri ya jūsu ga kaimasu.)

Spot-the-Error

6. One of these sentences uses や incorrectly. Which one has the error?

• A. ベッドの下にモンスターやくつ下があります。(Beddo no shita ni monsutā ya kutsushita ga arimasu.)
• B. 冷蔵庫に牛乳やパンとあります。(Reizōko ni gyūnyū ya pan to arimasu.)
• C. カバンに本やスマホやチョコがあります。(Kaban ni hon ya sumaho ya choko ga arimasu.)

7. Again, one sentence uses や in the wrong way. Which sentence is incorrect?

• A. 日曜日に映画やゲームをします。(Nichiyōbi ni eiga ya gēmu o shimasu.)
• B. 学校で日本語や数学をべんきょうします。(Gakkō de Nihongo ya sūgaku o benkyō shimasu.)
• C. 雨がふりますや雪がふります。(Ame ga furimasu ya yuki ga furimasu.)

Translation

8. Translate into Japanese using や: “In my bag there are things like a wallet and a banana.”

9. Translate into Japanese using や and など: “At the library I read things like Japanese, history, and robot manga, etc.”

10. Translate into Japanese using や: “At night I listen to things like music and ghost stories.”

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Answers and Explanations

1. 机の上にペンやノートがあります。(Tsukue no ue ni pen ya nōto ga arimasu.) — や shows an incomplete list, “things like a pen and a notebook.”
2. 部屋にテレビやソファーがあります。(Heya ni terebi ya sofā ga arimasu.) — や correctly connects two nouns, and が is the subject marker for “there are.”
3. 冷蔵庫にケーキやピザなどがあります。(Reizōko ni kēki ya piza nado ga arimasu.) — や connects the examples and など clearly adds the “etc.” meaning.
4. 公園に犬や猫やロボットがいます。(Kōen ni inu ya neko ya robotto ga imasu.) — や connects example nouns that are living or moving things, so います is correct.
5. コンビニでおにぎりやジュースをかいます。(Konbini de onigiri ya jūsu o kaimasu.) — や connects the objects, and を marks what you buy; no など is needed.
6. 冷蔵庫に牛乳やパンとあります。(Reizōko ni gyūnyū ya pan to arimasu.) — や and と are mixed incorrectly; you should not add と after a や-list.
7. 雨がふりますや雪がふります。(Ame ga furimasu ya yuki ga furimasu.) — や should not connect whole sentences at this level; use そして or just two separate sentences instead.
8. カバンにさいふやバナナがあります。(Kaban ni saifu ya banana ga arimasu.) — や connects “wallet” and “banana” as examples of things in the bag.
9. 図書館で日本語やれきしやロボットのまんがなどを読みます。(Toshokan de Nihongo ya rekishi ya robotto no manga nado o yomimasu.) — や connects the example subjects, and など shows that there are more types of books.
10. 夜におんがくや怪談を聞きます。(Yoru ni ongaku ya kaidan o kikimasu.) — や connects “music” and “ghost stories” as examples of what you listen to at night.