マイ フレンド

you (polite)

Please tell me your name.

あなた is a polite second-person pronoun 'you', but often avoided in favor of names/titles. Between spouses, wives may call husbands あなた (similar to 'dear'). Can sound distant or rude if overused. Better to use name+さん when possible.

direct object marker particle

I solved a difficult problem.

Marks the direct object of a verb - what the action is done to. Written を but pronounced 'o'. Essential for transitive verbs. Also marks the space through which movement occurs.

おもう

to think of; to imagine; to feel

Thinking of my parents back home, I wrote a letter.

Often used for subjective, emotional, or imaginative thinking, rather than purely logical reasoning.

only; just; merely; no more than

I drink only coffee.

だけ is a particle that limits or restricts the scope to only what precedes it. It can follow nouns, verbs, or adjectives. When used with できる, as in できるだけ, it means 'as much as possible'.

by, at, in, with (particle)

I commute by train.

Marks location of action (where something happens), means/tool (how/with what), material, reason, or scope. Different from に which marks location of existence.

こころ

heart; mind; spirit; feelings

I am grateful from the bottom of my heart.

Represents the emotional and spiritual center of a person, encompassing feelings, thoughts, and intentions. Often used in expressions about sincerity and emotional states. Different from 心臓 which means the physical heart.

topic marker particle

This year, the cherry blossoms bloomed early.

Marks the topic of a sentence - what the sentence is about. Often implies contrast with other possible topics. Written as は but pronounced 'wa'. Differs from が which marks the grammatical subject.

つよい

strong, powerful, intense

The wind has gotten strong.

Used to describe physical strength, intensity of phenomena (wind, rain), firmness of will, or resistance to something. The adverb form 'tsuyoku' (strongly) is commonly used. Opposite of 'yowai' (weak).