JLPT N5 grammar

〜もmeaning and usage

Meaning

Can mean “also” or “too”; after a quantity, emphasizes “as many or much as”; can mean “even,” or “not even” with negation. With a question word and a negative verb, it can mean “nothing” or “no one.” When two items each take も with a negative verb, it means “neither ... nor ...”.

This point is also listed at N1.

How to form it

  • nounも
  • number + counterも
  • question wordもverb (nai-form)
  • nounもnounも

How it is used

Means “also” and replaces 「は」, 「が」 or 「を」, but follows other particles: 「東京にも」. After a number it stresses “as many as”; a question word plus 「も」 with a negative means “nothing” or “no one”: 「何も食べない」.

Examples

  1. 私のおじいさんは、犬を４匹も飼っている。

    My grandfather has as many as four dogs.

  2. 私も行きたいです。

    I want to go too.

  3. 部屋にはだれもいませんでした。

    There was no one in the room.

About the example The も in ４匹も emphasizes four dogs as a surprisingly large number.