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と・や

と and や: “and”, “with”, and “things like”

Listing nouns — the complete list vs a few examples — and doing things with someone.
要点The idea
と joins nouns into a complete list (A and B), や gives examples (A, B and so on), and と also means with.
りんご と バナナ を 食(た)たべた。ringo to banana o tabeta.I ate an apple and a banana.That's all: a complete list.
本(ほん)ほん や 雑誌(ざっし)ざっし を 読(よ)よむ。hon ya zasshi o yomu.I read books, magazines and so on.Just examples.
友達(ともだち)ともだち と 映画(えいが)えいが を 見(み)みた。tomodachi to eiga o mita.I watched a movie with a friend.
先生(せんせい)せんせい と 話(はな)はなしました。sensei to hanashimashita.I talked with the teacher.
Aパン と 卵(たまご)たまご を 買(か)かった。pan to tamago o katta.I bought bread and eggs.That's everything.
Bパン や 卵(たまご)たまご を 買(か)かった。pan ya tamago o katta.I bought bread, eggs and so on.Just examples.
と closes the list; や leaves it open. Add など to make the “etc.” explicit: パンや卵(たまご)たまごなど.
  1. A
    昨日(きのう)きのう は 何(なに)なに を 買(か)かいました か?kinou wa nani o kaimashita ka?What did you buy yesterday?
  2. B
    服(ふく)ふく や 靴(くつ)くつ など を 買(か)かいました。fuku ya kutsu nado o kaimashita.Clothes, shoes and so on.
  3. A
    いい です ね。 一人(ひとり)ひとり で?ii desu ne. hitori de?Nice. On your own?
  4. B
    いいえ、 妹(いもうと)いもうと と 行(い)いきました。iie, imouto to ikimashita.No, I went with my little sister.
や…など leaves the shopping list open: there was more. In the last line, と means “with”. In casual speech you'll often hear とか instead of や: 服(ふく)ふくとか靴(くつ)くつとか.

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