や: 'And' for Incomplete Lists (Meaning + Examples)
What it means
や connects nouns the way English "and" does — but with a twist. When you use や, you're giving examples from a larger group, not a full inventory. 本やペン means "books, pens, and other stuff," not only those two items.
This is the big contrast with と. と gives a complete list (exactly these, nothing else); や leaves the list open. Think of や as "things like A and B."
机の上に本やペンがある。
つくえの うえに ほんや ペンが ある。
There are books, pens, and things like that on the desk.
や implies other items are there too.
ヤッタンはりんごやバナナが好きだ。
ヤッタンは りんごや バナナが すきだ。
Yattan likes apples, bananas, and so on.
かばんの中にさいふやかぎが入っている。
かばんの なかに さいふや かぎが はいっている。
There's a wallet, keys, and such in the bag.
How to form it
や simply sits between nouns. It attaches directly to a noun with no change in form.
| Items | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Two nouns | A や B | 本やペン (books, pens, etc.) |
| Three nouns | A や B や C | 本やペンやノート |
| With "and so on" | A や B など | 本やペンなど |
や connects nouns only — never verbs or whole sentences. (To list actions, N5 learners use the 〜たり pattern instead.)
Pairing や with など
Because や already hints at "and others," it teams up naturally with など ("and so on," "etc."). など comes after the last listed noun and makes the open-ended feeling explicit.
スーパーでパンやたまごなどを買った。
スーパーで パンや たまごなどを かった。
I bought bread, eggs, and other things at the supermarket.
など closes the list with 'and so on.'
先生は漢字やぶんぽうなどを教える。
せんせいは かんじや ぶんぽうなどを おしえる。
The teacher teaches kanji, grammar, and so on.
You don't have to add など — や alone already implies more — but など is very common and sounds natural.
や vs と — the minimal pair
This is the contrast to lock in. Same two nouns, different particle, different meaning:
| Form | Core idea | Example |
|---|---|---|
| パンとたまご | complete list — exactly these two, nothing else | パンとたまごを買った = I bought bread and eggs (just those) |
| パンやたまご | examples — these plus other things | パンやたまごを買った = I bought bread, eggs, and other stuff |
So if you and a friend bought only bread and eggs, say パンとたまご. If those are just a couple of examples from a bigger shopping trip, say パンやたまご. For the full rules on the complete-list particle, see と.
ヤッタンの弟はジュースやおかしばかり買う。
ヤッタンの おとうとは ジュースや おかしばかり かう。
Yattan's little brother only buys juice, snacks, and the like.
休みの日はモチと公園や川へ行く。
やすみの ひは モチと こうえんや かわへ いく。
On days off, I go to the park, the river, and such with Mochi.
と here means 'with Mochi'; や lists places as examples.
Common mistakes
- Using や for a complete list. If you mean exactly these items, use と: パンとたまご (only those). や always implies more.
- Listing verbs or sentences with や. や joins nouns only. To list actions, use the 〜たり form, not や.
- Putting など in the wrong spot. など goes after the last noun, not between every item: 本やペンなど (✓), not 本など や ペン.
- Treating や and と as interchangeable. They aren't — swapping them changes whether the list is open or closed.
Quick recap
- や lists nouns as examples: A や B = "A, B, and things like that."
- It connects nouns only, and attaches with no change in form.
- Often paired with など ("and so on") after the last noun.
- と = complete list; や = open-ended list. Same nouns, different meaning.
Your turn
Choose や or と to fit each list.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between や and と?
と lists things completely (exactly these and nothing else): パンとたまご = bread and eggs, just those. や lists things as examples, implying others too: パンやたまご = bread, eggs, and other stuff.
Does や connect verbs or only nouns?
Only nouns. や joins noun examples. To list actions, N5 learners use the 〜たり form instead.
Do I have to use など with や?
No. や already implies 'and others,' so など is optional. But adding など ('and so on') after the last noun is very common and sounds natural.
Where does など go in the sentence?
After the final listed noun: 本やペンなど. Don't repeat it between every item.