Meaning & Usage
โจ Basic Meaning
‘Also’, ‘too’, ‘as well’, or ‘even’.
๐ฏ Primary Function
To indicate addition or to provide emphasis to a quantity or situation.
๐ Grammar Structure
[Verb Te-form] + ใ
[I-Adj Stem] + ใใฆใ
[Na-Adj] + ใงใ
[Noun] + ใ + [Negative Verb/Adjective]
๐ญ Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Used in formal writing and speech (e.g., Reports, presentations).
Informal Situations
Extremely common in daily conversation with friends and family.
Written Language
Used to list multiple items or emphasize statistical points.
Spoken Language
Crucial for natural flow and emphasizing emotions or quantities.
๐ก Common Applications
Addition
Used to indicate that the same thing applies to another subject or object.
Example: ็งใ่กใใพใใ(I will go too.)
Emphasis (High Amount)
Used with counter words to emphasize that an amount is surprisingly large.
Example: 10ๆฏใ้ฃฒใฟใพใใใ(I drank as many as 10 glasses.)
Emphasis (Low Amount/Zero)
Used with a minimum unit and a negative verb to emphasize ‘not even one’.
Example: ไธๅใไผใฃใใใจใใชใใ(I haven’t met them even once.)
Both… and… / Neither… nor…
Repeating ‘mo’ after two or more items to include or exclude all of them.
Example: ่ใ้ญใๅฅฝใใงใใ(I like both meat and fish.)
Frequency
Very High
Difficulty
N4 (Elementary/Pre-intermediate)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
็งใฏๅญฆ็ใงใใ็ฐไธญใใใๅญฆ็ใงใใ
Furigana: ใใใใฏใใใใใงใใใใชใใใใใใใใใงใใ
Romaji: Watashi wa gakusei desu. Tanaka-san mo gakusei desu.
English: I am a student. Tanaka-san is also a student.
Example #2
็ฌใ็ซใๅฅฝใใงใใ
Furigana: ใใฌใใญใใใใใงใใ
Romaji: Inu mo neko mo suki desu.
English: I like both dogs and cats.
Example #3
้จๅฑใซไธ๏ผใฒใจ๏ผไบบใใใพใใใ
Furigana: ใธใใซใฒใจใฒใจใใใใพใใใ
Romaji: Heya ni hitori mo imasen.
English: There isn’t even one person in the room.
Example #4
3ๆ้ใๅพ
ใฃใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใใใพใฃใใ
Romaji: San-jikan mo matta.
English: I waited for as long as three hours.
Example #5
่ใ้ญใ้ฃในใพใใใ
Furigana: ใซใใใใใชใใในใพใใใ
Romaji: Niku mo sakana mo tabemasen.
English: I don’t eat meat or fish.
Example #6
ไบฌ้ฝใธ่กใใพใใใๅฅ่ฏใธใ่กใใพใใใ
Furigana: ใใใใจใธใใใพใใใใชใใธใใใใพใใใ
Romaji: Kyoto e ikimashita. Nara e mo ikimashita.
English: I’ve been to Kyoto, and I’ve also been to Nara.
Example #7
ใใใซใคใใฆใฏไฝใ็ฅใใพใใใ
Furigana: ใใใซใคใใฆใฏใชใซใใใใพใใใ
Romaji: Sore ni tsuite wa nani mo shirimasen.
English: I don’t know anything about that.
Example #8
ๆๆฅ้จใ้ใฃใฆใใ่กใใพใใ
Furigana: ใใใใใใใตใฃใฆใใใใใพใใ
Romaji: Ashita ame ga futtemo, ikimasu.
English: Even if it rains tomorrow, I will go.
Example #9
ใใผใใฃใผใซ่ชฐใๆฅใพใใใงใใใ
Furigana: ใใผใใฃใผใ ใใใใพใใใงใใใ
Romaji: Paatii ni dare mo kimasen deshita.
English: No one came to the party.
Example #10
ใใฎๆฌใ1ใใผใธใ่ชญใใงใใชใใ
Furigana: ใใฎใปใใใใกใใผใธใใใใงใใชใใ
Romaji: Kono hon, ichi peeji mo yonde inai.
English: I haven’t even read a single page of this book.
Notes & Nuances
๐ Important Points
Emphasizing Quantity
When used with a counter, ‘mo’ suggests that the speaker thinks 10 people is a lot.
Example: 10ไบบใๆฅใพใใใ
Absolute Negative Emphasis
Minimum number + ‘mo’ + negative verb creates a strong ‘not even one’ meaning.
Example: ไธไบบใใใชใใ
โ ๏ธ Common Mistakes
โ ใชใณใดใจใใใใ่ฒทใใพใใใ (Depends on context, but usually intended as ‘both’)
โ
ใชใณใดใใใใใ่ฒทใใพใใใ
When listing multiple items that you ‘also’ bought, use ‘mo’ after each noun. Using ‘to’ and then ‘mo’ at the end is less common for this specific nuance.
โ ๅญฆๆ กใใธ่กใใพใใ
โ
ๅญฆๆ กใธใ่กใใพใใ
When ‘mo’ is added to particles like ‘e’, ‘ni’, or ‘de’, it usually follows the particle. However, ‘mo’ replaces ‘wa’ and ‘ga’.
๐๏ธ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. It does not carry a specific politeness level itself but follows the verb’s form.
Social Situations: Essential for expressing solidarity (e.g., ‘Me too’) or surprise at quantities.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.
๐ Subtle Differences
‘Mo’ vs ‘To’
‘To’ simply lists items (A and B). ‘Mo’ implies addition or emphasis (A also B).
When to use: Use ‘to’ for a simple list; use ‘mo’ to highlight inclusion.
๐ Conjugation Notes
‘Mo’ replaces the particles ‘wa’, ‘ga’, and ‘o’. For other particles like ‘ni’, ‘de’, ‘to’, ‘e’, ‘mo’ is added after them (e.g., ‘ni mo’, ‘de mo’).
๐ Pronunciation Tips
‘Mo’ is short. Avoid elongating it unless you are hesitating (mooo…).
๐ง Memory Tips
Think of ‘mo’ as a ‘plus sign’ (+). It adds something to the conversation, whether it’s another person, another object, or more intensity to a number.
Other Grammar
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