Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| とか | toka | |
| や | ya | [ja̠] (narrow) |
| そして | soshite | [so̞ɕi̥te̞] (narrow) |
| 及 | oyobi | |
| 及び | oyobi | [o̞jo̞bʲi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the way you say 'and' depends heavily on what you are connecting. You can use particles like や or とか to list examples of things, or use conjunctions like そして to connect whole sentences. When you want to list items and imply there are others besides the ones mentioned, use や or とか. For a complete, exhaustive list of items, the particle と is used instead.
Which one should you use?
The particles や and とか are both used to provide a non-exhaustive list of examples, meaning they imply 'and others' or 'things like'. However, とか is more colloquial and casual than や. In contrast, そして is a conjunction used to connect entire sentences or clauses rather than just linking nouns. For very formal, academic or legal contexts, 及び (or its hiragana form および) is used to connect nouns.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For casual conversation, use とか to mean 'and' or 'or' in the sense of 'things like'. The particle や is used for non-exhaustive lists. そして is a slightly more formal conjunction used to connect longer phrases or to add emphasis. In formal, legal or business writing, use 及び to connect nouns.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While や and とか function as particles to connect nouns or noun phrases, そして is a conjunction used to connect entire sentences or clauses.
How do you pronounce it?
toka
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid confusing や with と. Use と when you want to list a complete, exhaustive set (A and B and nothing else), but use や when you are only listing a few examples from a larger group (A and B, among others).
Did you know?
- The particle や originated during the Heian period from the kanji 也 written in a flowing, cursive style called sōsho.
- The word そして is often used to create a rhythmic pause between sentences, acting more like a bridge than a simple connector.
- In certain regions, such as Okinawa, the sound や functions differently than it does in standard Japanese.
Examples in context
- やってみなよ。Try and do it.This sentence shows the use of や.Tatoeba #9057363 by bunbuku, translation #41875 by CK
- 彼らは鹿や狐を狩った。They hunted deer and foxes.This sentence demonstrates using や to list multiple animals being hunted.Tatoeba #98059 by Sim5634, translation #305643 by CK
- 地震や洪水は天災です。Earthquakes and floods are natural disasters.This sentence uses や to list examples of natural disasters.Tatoeba #126868 by bunbuku, translation #277221 by CK
- 私 は りんご と オレンジ を 買いました。I bought apples and oranges.
- 彼 と 映画 を 見た。I watched a movie with him.
- りんご や オレンジ とか バナナ を 買った。I bought apples, oranges, and bananas (among other things).
- 662 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 美咲 Misakiラーメンとか、パスタとかどう？Ramen toka, pasuta toka dou?How about something like ramen or pasta?
- 健太 Kentaうーん、今日は和食がいいな。Uun, kyou wa washoku ga ii na.Hmm, I'd prefer Japanese food today.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、お寿司とかにする？Jaa, osushi toka ni suru?Then, shall we have something like sushi?
- 健太 Kentaいいね、それにしよう！Ii ne, sore ni shiyou!Sounds good, let's go with that!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “and” translations and entries とか, や, そして, 及, 及び, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries とか, や, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
