GrammarJLPT N5
→ with
と – "With" (Accompaniment Particle)
JLPT N5ParticleNeutral
The particle と is used to indicate that an action is performed together with someone or something. When placed after a noun (typically a person or animate being), と marks that noun as the companion or partner in the action described by the verb. This usage is distinct from と meaning "and" (which connects two or more nouns in a list) and と as a conditional particle (meaning "if/when"). The accompaniment と is often paired with the adverb 一緒に (together) for emphasis, but 一緒に is not required — と alone is sufficient to express the meaning of "with." Unlike the particle に, which can mark the target or recipient of a one-directional action, と implies mutual participation: both parties are involved in the activity together. For example, 友達と話す means "to talk with a friend" (both people are talking), whereas 友達に話す means "to talk to a friend" (the action is directed at the friend).
Examples
Example #1
私は友達と映画を見ました。
Here と follows 友達 (friend) to indicate that the speaker and the friend watched the movie together. The particle marks the friend as the companion in the shared activity of watching a movie. Without と, there would be no indication of who joined the speaker.I watched a movie with my friend.
Structures
- Noun (person/companion)
- Noun + と + Verb
- With 一緒に emphasis
- Noun + と + 一緒に + Verb
Common mistakes
A frequent mistake is confusing the accompaniment と with the listing と (meaning "and"). For example, 友達と食べました means "I ate with a friend," but 友達と私 means "my friend and I" — context and sentence structure determine which meaning applies. Another common error is using と interchangeably with に. While both can appear with verbs like 会う and 話す, と implies mutual or reciprocal action (both parties participate equally), whereas に implies a one-directional action toward someone. Learners also sometimes forget that と attaches to the companion noun, not to the verb, so saying 食べたと友達 is incorrect — the correct order is 友達と食べた.
Related
と ① (and)と ③ (conditional)に (indirect object / direction)一緒にとともにや