も (Also / Even)も
も means "also" or "even." It replaces は, が, and を (but stacks with に, で, etc.). Combined with question words + negative, it creates "nothing" (何も), "nobody" (誰も), "nowhere" (どこも). With large numbers, it adds emphasis: 100人も来た (a whole 100 people came!).
も means "also" or "even." It replaces は, が, and を (but stacks with に, で, etc.). Combined with question words + negative, it creates "nothing" (何も), "nobody" (誰も), "nowhere" (どこも). With large numbers, it adds emphasis: 100人も来た (a whole 100 people came!).
Use 1: Also / too
も replaces は, が, or を to add something to what’s already been said: A: 私は学生です。B: 私も学生です。 (I’m also a student.) も indicates that the same predicate applies to another item. It directly replaces the particle: 私は → 私も, りんごが好き → バナナも好き.
Use 2: Even (emphasis)
も with surprising or extreme amounts means "even" or "as many as": 100人も来た (a whole 100 people came!), 3時間も待った (waited a full 3 hours!), 子供でもわかる (even a child understands). The emphasis comes from the implication that the amount exceeds expectations.
Use 3: Question word + も + negative = nothing/nobody
This is one of the most important patterns in Japanese: 何も食べなかった (didn’t eat anything), 誰も来なかった (nobody came), どこも行かなかった (didn’t go anywhere), いつも (always — note: positive form!). The negative verb is required for "nothing/nobody/nowhere." Without the negative, 何も = "everything," but this is rare compared to the negative pattern.
Use 4: Both / neither
To say "both A and B," use AもBも: コーヒーも紅茶も好きです (I like both coffee and tea). For "neither A nor B," add a negative verb: コーヒーも紅茶も飲まない (I drink neither coffee nor tea). This pattern extends to any number of items.
Stacking with other particles
も replaces は, が, を — but stacks after に, で, と, へ: 東京にも行った (also went to Tokyo), バスでも行ける (can go by bus too), 彼とも話した (also talked with him). The other particle stays; も is added after it.
Example sentences
私も日本語を勉強しています。
Watashi mo nihongo o benkyou shite imasu.
I'm also studying Japanese.
も replaces は = also
何も買わなかった。
Nani mo kawanakatta.
I didn't buy anything.
何も + negative = nothing
5時間も勉強した。
Gojikan mo benkyou shita.
I studied a whole 5 hours!
も = emphasis (that's a lot!)
肉も魚も好きです。
Niku mo sakana mo suki desu.
I like both meat and fish.
AもBも = both A and B
大阪にも行きたい。
Oosaka ni mo ikitai.
I want to go to Osaka too.
も stacks after に
Common mistakes
私はも学生です。
私も学生です。
も replaces は (and が, を). Don't stack は + も. However, にも, でも, とも are fine because those particles don't get replaced.
何も食べた。(meaning "didn't eat anything")
何も食べなかった。
何も + positive verb = "ate everything" (rare). 何も + negative verb = "didn't eat anything." The negative is required for the "nothing" meaning.
誰もが来た (meaning "nobody came")
誰も来なかった
For "nobody," use 誰も + negative verb. 誰もが is a special literary form meaning "everyone" — the opposite of what you likely intend.
Frequently asked questions
Does も always replace は and が?
Yes. You never see はも or がも (those are ungrammatical). も takes the place of topic and subject markers. But it stacks with locational/directional particles: にも, でも, とも, へも are all fine.
What's the difference between でも and ても?
でも after a noun means "even" (子供でも = even a child). ても after a verb/adjective means "even if" (食べても = even if I eat). They're different constructions: でも is で + も, while ても is て-form + も.
Is いつも an exception? It means "always," not "never."
Yes, いつも is special. Without a negative verb, it means "always" (いつも忙しい = always busy). With a negative verb, it means "never" (いつも来ない = never comes). This dual behavior is unique to いつも among the question-word + も patterns.
Which particles does も replace?