Japatan
Formation
- N1 + と + N2
- N（人） + と + V
- N（人） + と + いっしょに + V
Explanation
と has two uses. First, it joins nouns: A と B means "A and B" and lists all the items (パンと 卵, bread and eggs). Second, it marks the person you do something with: 友達と 行きます (I go with a friend). You can add いっしょに (together): 友達と いっしょに 行きます. Ask about the partner with だれと (with whom). When you do something alone, say 一人で.
Examples
毎朝 パンと 卵を 食べます。
I eat bread and eggs every morning.
休みは 土曜日と 日曜日です。
My days off are Saturday and Sunday.
A: だれと 京都へ 行きますか。
B: 家族と 行きます。A: Who are you going to Kyoto with? B: I'm going with my family.
明日 リンさんと いっしょに 映画を 見ます。
Tomorrow I'm going to watch a movie together with Lin-san.
Notes
In the meaning "and," と can join only nouns. It cannot join verbs, adjectives or whole sentences (✕ 食べますと 飲みます). A と B gives the complete list; when you only give some examples, use A や B.
Related grammar
Mini quiz
1私は 毎朝 パン（ ） 果物を 食べます。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 2 と
"I eat bread and fruit every morning." Two nouns, パン and 果物, are listed, so they are joined with と. を, へ and に cannot join two nouns.
2日曜日に 父（ ） 公園へ 行きます。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 4 と
"On Sunday I'm going to the park with my father." 父 is the person the speaker goes with, so it takes と. を, に and で cannot mark the person you do something with.
3A: （ ） 昼ごはんを 食べますか。
B: 田中さんと 食べます。
Answer and explanation
Answer: 1 だれと
B answers "I'll eat with Tanaka-san," so A is asking "Who are you going to eat lunch with?" Use だれと to ask about the partner. どこで asks about a place, and だれを and 何を do not fit before 昼ごはんを.
