The important words in any languages are simple as these words are frequently used. The shorter the more economical. Native Japanese is not a exception. Because Helping Words (じょし, jyoshi，助詞) are so frequently or repeatedly used they have become very short. And the length of the word is contra-proportional to importance. The shorter the more important. Native Japanese Helping Words (じょし，助詞) are very simple and almost all of them are one syllable words like は(wa), が(ga), を(o), に(ni), へ(e), で(de), に (ni), から(kara). と(to). But these are very very important, especially Case Helping Words (かくじょし, kaku-joshi, 格助詞) since these show grammatical "cases". There are some other Helping Words than Case ones but Case Helping Words are vitally important in terms of Japanese grammar.
1) Nominative - To show a subject
は (pronounced as "wa" not "ha")
が (ga)
Please note that even the following case は (wa) or が (ga) is required.
わたしは(wa)へやにいます。 I am in the room ---> I (わたし<watashi>) am (います<imasu> = exist) in (に <ni>) the room (へや<heya>).
Without は (wa), that is わたし(は)へやにいます is possible and even without subject わたし<watashi>, hat is (わたしは)へやにいます is possible when the person who listens to knows who speaks.
わたしが(ga)へやにいます。This can be said as an answer when some one asks you "who is in the room?' and わたしが(ga) must be stressed.
Instead when some one asks you "where are you?" You would say わたしは(wa)へやにいます and へや<heya> (the room) will be stressed.
The functional differences between は (wa) and が (ga) are very difficult to explain and very subtle in some cases. This is a another big topic.
2) Accusative - To show a direct object
を (pronounced as "o" not "wo")
あなたをみた(anata o mita) 。 あなた(anata = you) を(o) みた(mita) = (I) saw you.
"I" is usually omitted as the person you talk to knows who is talking - I. But を(o) is necessary. Without を(o) the meaning changes to "you saw " because of the word order (without any Helping Word)
3) Dative - To show an indirect object
に (ni)
へ ((pronounced as "e" not "he")
いえにかえる （ie ni kaeru) - いえ (ie, house) に (ni, to) かえる (karu, go back or return) - go back home
As "home" in this English sentence is not a noun but an adverb so it is not necessary to put a preposition to show the direction before "home". But if you use "house" you must put a preposition "to" - I go back to my house. The Japanese いえ (ie) is a noun. And it is required to put a Helping Word に (ni) to show the direction. Otherwise the sentence いえ(に)かえる means - the house goes back due to the word order. かえる (kaeru) does not change whatever the subject is, say I, you, he, she, they, Taro (man's name), Hanako (woman's name), my dog, and even a house, or what ever. And いえかえる (the house goes back) does not make sense.
When I started learning Chinese (not Mandarin but Cantonese) I faced a problem to get to used to their usage. They do not put a preposition in front of the place you go to so they say.
I go school (我返学）(mandarin 我去上学）
I go house (我返屋企) (mandarin 我回家）
I was not able to accept psychologically these expressions. These sounded like <I eat a house>. The second one can be said and usually said "I go home" so 我回家 (I - return - home) is almost the same as English word usage. But 屋企, 家 (home or house) are nouns, not adverbs, in Chinese.
To pretend to be a Chinese (not a native Japanese) you omit Helping Words and say
わたし（watashi) いえ (ie) かえる (kaeru) instead of わたしはいえにかえる
わたし（watashi) いえ (ie) かえる (kaeru) means 我 家 回 which is made by changing the word order.
4) Locative - To show the place where an action is performed or an event happens or a thing exists
で (de) - at, in on
に (ni) - at, in on
5) Possessive, Genitive - To show possession, measurement, or source
の (no) - 's, or "of" but in the op0osit word order
a cat of Hanako - はなこの(no)ねこ (neko, cat)
6) Ablative - To show separation or the place where an action or an event starts, or the means by which an action is performed.
から (kara) - from
で (de) - by (by means of), with
と (to) - with (together with)
sptt
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