The most basic function of は is marking the topic -- "as for X..." But when two は appear in the same sentence, they're often not marking topics at all. Instead, they're creating a contrast.
What is Contrast?
Contrast means comparing two things where one is positive and the other is negative -- "A is like this, but B is not."
Aは ~ます + が/けど + Bは ~ません = A is like this, but B is not
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| りんごは食べますが、なしは食べません。 | I eat apples, but not pears. |
| りんごは好きですが、なしは嫌いです。 | I like apples, but not pears. |
| ここではよく食べますが、あそこではあまり食べません。 | I often eat here, but not much there. |
| お茶は飲みますが、コーヒーは飲みません。 | I drink tea, but not coffee. |
| ラジオは直せますが、テレビは直せません。 | I can fix radios, but not TVs. |
Characteristics of contrast:
- Two は mark the two items being compared
- が or けれど(も) connects them, meaning "but"
- One positive, one negative -- or vice versa
は Replaces が and を
When は marks contrast, it replaces certain particles:
| Original | With contrastive は | Note |
|---|---|---|
| りんごが好き | りんごは好き | は replaces が |
| りんごを食べる | りんごは食べる | は replaces を |
| ここで食べる | ここでは食べる | は comes after で |
If the original particle is で, に, or へ, は can't replace it -- it sits after it instead: ここでは, 日本には, 学校へは.
Contrast vs Parallel: は vs も
Contrast uses two は; parallel uses two も. They look similar but mean opposite things.
| Structure | Function | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| AもBも | Parallel | りんごもなしも好きです。 | I like both apples and pears. |
| AはBは | Contrast | りんごは好きですが、なしは嫌いです。 | I like apples, but not pears. |
Simple rule:
- Both items are the same (both liked/both done) = use も (parallel)
- Items are different (one yes, one no) = use は + が/けど (contrast)
More Examples
日本語は話せますが、中国語は話せません。 = I can speak Japanese, but not Chinese.
肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。 = I eat meat, but not fish.
月曜日は忙しいですが、火曜日は暇です。 = Monday is busy, but Tuesday is free.
Wrap-Up
- Two は in one sentence often signals contrast
- Contrast = one positive + one negative, connected by が/けれど(も)
- は replaces が and を, but follows で, に, へ
- Two も = parallel (both the same); two は = contrast (different)
Practice
Q1. What are the two は doing in "お茶は飲みますが、コーヒーは飲みません"?
Answer
Contrast.
Tea -- I drink (positive). Coffee -- I don't drink (negative). One positive, one negative = contrast.
Q2. How do you say "I like both apples and pears" in Japanese? Use は or も?
Answer
りんごもなしも好きです。
Both liked = parallel, so use も. If one were liked and the other disliked, you'd use は.
Q3. In "ここではよく食べます," why is it では and not just は?
Answer
Because ここ originally takes the particle で (location of action). は can't replace で -- it can only follow it. So it becomes ここでは, not ここは.