と (Complete list)

What is と for Lists?

と (to) is a particle used to list items exhaustively, meaning "and." When listing with と, you're indicating a complete list of ALL relevant items - nothing else is included.

English equivalent: "and" (exhaustive list)

Key characteristic: と implies the list is complete and comprehensive.

りんごとみかんを買った。
Ringo to mikan wo katta.
"I bought apples and oranges." [Only these two, nothing else]

田中さんと山田さんが来た。
Tanaka-san to Yamada-san ga kita.
"Tanaka and Yamada came." [Only these two people]

Basic Structure

Pattern

[Noun A] + と + [Noun B] + (と + [Noun C]...) + particle

猫と犬 (neko to inu) - "cats and dogs"
本とペン (hon to pen) - "books and pens"
父と母 (chichi to haha) - "father and mother"

Two Items

Simple listing

パンと牛乳を買った。
Pan to gyuunyuu wo katta.
"I bought bread and milk." [These two items]

兄と妹がいます。
Ani to imouto ga imasu.
"I have an older brother and younger sister." [These two siblings]

コーヒーと紅茶、どちらがいいですか。
Ko-hi- to koucha, dochira ga ii desu ka.
"Which would you like, coffee or tea?" [These two options]

机と椅子が必要です。
Tsukue to isu ga hitsuyou desu.
"I need a desk and chair." [These two things]

Multiple Items

Three or more items

りんごとみかんとバナナを買った。
Ringo to mikan to banana wo katta.
"I bought apples, oranges, and bananas." [All three, nothing else]

日本と中国と韓国に行った。
Nihon to Chuugoku to Kankoku ni itta.
"I went to Japan, China, and Korea." [These three countries]

赤と青と黄色が好きです。
Aka to ao to kiiro ga suki desu.
"I like red, blue, and yellow." [These three colors]

Note: In longer lists, Japanese often uses commas or や instead of multiple と.

Exhaustive Nature

Indicating completeness

When you use と, you're stating this is ALL that applies:

私は猫と犬を飼っています。
Watashi wa neko to inu wo katte imasu.
"I have a cat and a dog." [Only these two pets, no others]

日本語と英語が話せます。
Nihongo to eigo ga hanasemasu.
"I can speak Japanese and English." [Only these two languages]

今日と明日は休みです。
Kyou to ashita wa yasumi desu.
"Today and tomorrow are days off." [Only these two days]

With Different Particles

と after the list + particle

りんごとみかんを買った。
Ringo to mikan wo katta.
"I bought apples and oranges." [を marks object]

田中さんと山田さんが来た。
Tanaka-san to Yamada-san ga kita.
"Tanaka and Yamada came." [が marks subject]

日本と中国に行った。
Nihon to Chuugoku ni itta.
"I went to Japan and China." [に marks destination]

友達と家族に会った。
Tomodachi to kazoku ni atta.
"I met friends and family." [に marks indirect object]

Contrasting with や

と - Complete list (exhaustive)

猫と犬を飼っている。
Neko to inu wo katte iru.
"I have a cat and a dog." [Only these two - complete list]

や - Partial list (examples)

猫や犬を飼っている。
Neko ya inu wo katte iru.
"I have cats, dogs, and such." [These and possibly others - partial list]

See: [や (Partial list)](/grammar/ya-list)

Particle	Type	Implication	Example
と	Complete	Only these items	猫と犬 (only cat and dog)
や	Partial	These and others	猫や犬 (cats, dogs, etc.)

In Questions

Asking about choices

コーヒーと紅茶、どちらがいいですか。
Ko-hi- to koucha, dochira ga ii desu ka.
"Coffee or tea, which would you like?" [Two specific choices]

りんごとみかん、どっちが好き？
Ringo to mikan, dotchi ga suki?
"Apples or oranges, which do you like?"

今日と明日、いつがいい？
Kyou to ashita, itsu ga ii?
"Today or tomorrow, when is good?"

Pairs and Sets

Natural pairs

夫と妻
Otto to tsuma
"Husband and wife"

親と子
Oya to ko
"Parent and child"

左と右
Hidari to migi
"Left and right"

朝と夜
Asa to yoru
"Morning and night"

先生と生徒
Sensei to seito
"Teacher and student"

Time Expressions

Days and times

月曜日と水曜日に授業があります。
Getsuyoubi to suiyoubi ni jugyou ga arimasu.
"I have class on Monday and Wednesday." [Only these two days]

朝と晩に薬を飲みます。
Asa to ban ni kusuri wo nomimasu.
"I take medicine morning and evening." [These two times]

今年と来年は忙しい。
Kotoshi to rainen wa isogashii.
"This year and next year are busy." [These two years]

People

Listing individuals

田中さんと佐藤さんと鈴木さんが来た。
Tanaka-san to Satou-san to Suzuki-san ga kita.
"Tanaka, Sato, and Suzuki came." [Only these three]

父と母と兄がいます。
Chichi to haha to ani ga imasu.
"I have a father, mother, and older brother." [Complete family list]

友達と先生に会った。
Tomodachi to sensei ni atta.
"I met my friend and teacher." [These two people]

Places

Multiple locations

東京と大阪に行った。
Toukyou to Oosaka ni itta.
"I went to Tokyo and Osaka." [Only these two cities]

学校と図書館で勉強した。
Gakkou to toshokan de benkyou shita.
"I studied at school and the library." [These two places]

日本とアメリカに住んだことがある。
Nihon to Amerika ni sunda koto ga aru.
"I've lived in Japan and America." [These two countries]

Activities and Actions

Listing actions

While と primarily lists nouns, it can list nominalized verbs:

読むことと書くことが好きです。
Yomu koto to kaku koto ga suki desu.
"I like reading and writing."

食べることと寝ることだけ。
Taberu koto to neru koto dake.
"Just eating and sleeping."

Note: For listing multiple actions naturally, use 〜たり〜たり instead.

See: 〜たり〜たりする

Formal Contexts

In formal writing and speech

日本語と英語を使用しています。
Nihongo to eigo wo shiyou shite imasu.
"We use Japanese and English."

品質と価格を重視します。
Hinshitsu to kakaku wo juushi shimasu.
"We emphasize quality and price."

安全と快適さを提供します。
Anzen to kaiteki-sa wo teikyou shimasu.
"We provide safety and comfort."

Numbers and Quantities

Specific amounts

2つと3つください。
Futatsu to mittsu kudasai.
"Please give me two and three." [Two of one thing, three of another]

10個と5個買った。
Jukko to goko katta.
"I bought 10 and 5." [Two specific quantities]

Emphasis on Completeness

Making clear it's only these

これとこれだけです。
Kore to kore dake desu.
"Only this and this." [Nothing else]

彼と彼女しか知らない。
Kare to kanojo shika shiranai.
"Only he and she know." [Nobody else]

今日と明日しか時間がない。
Kyou to ashita shika jikan ga nai.
"I only have time today and tomorrow." [No other days]

Long Lists

Breaking down longer lists

For very long lists, Japanese often uses alternatives:

Less natural: りんごとみかんとバナナとぶどうと...
Better: りんごやみかんなど
More natural: りんご、みかん、バナナ、ぶどうなど

"Apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, etc."

See: など/なんか (Etc.)

Casual vs Formal

All contexts accept と

Casual: 猫と犬飼ってる
Neko to inu katteru
"I have a cat and dog."

Formal: 猫と犬を飼っています
Neko to inu wo katte imasu
"I have a cat and dog."

と works in all formality levels for listing.

Common Patterns

Set phrases with と

右と左
Migi to hidari
"Right and left"

表と裏
Omote to ura
"Front and back" / "Surface and reverse"

善と悪
Zen to aku
"Good and evil"

真と偽
Shin to gi
"Truth and falsehood"

上と下
Ue to shita
"Up and down" / "Top and bottom"

With の

Modifying nouns

日本と中国の関係
Nihon to Chuugoku no kankei
"Japan and China's relationship" / "The relationship between Japan and China"

猫と犬の違い
Neko to inu no chigai
"The difference between cats and dogs"

朝と夜の温度
Asa to yoru no ondo
"Morning and night temperatures"

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using と for Partial Lists

❌ 果物を買った。りんごとみかんとか ✓ 果物を買った。りんごやみかんなど

Use や or など for partial lists, not と.

Mistake 2: Overusing と in Long Lists

❌ りんごとみかんとバナナとぶどうとメロンと... ✓ りんご、みかん、バナナなど

For long lists, use commas and など.

Mistake 3: Mixing と and や

❌ りんごとみかんや... ✓ りんごとみかんと... (all と) ✓ りんごやみかんや... (all や)

Be consistent within a list.

Mistake 4: Wrong Particle After List

❌ 猫と犬と飼っている ✓ 猫と犬を飼っている

Add appropriate particle after complete list.

Summary

Key Points:

• と means "and" for complete, exhaustive lists
• Implies only the listed items (nothing else)
• Structure: A と B と C + particle
• Use for 2-3 items typically
• Different from や which indicates partial lists
• Works in all formality levels
• For longer lists, use や or commas + など
• Common in pairs and natural groupings
• The list after と is comprehensive and complete