と vs か in Japanese: How to Say “And” vs “Or”

You are at a convenience store with coffee and tea in front of you. Whether you take both or pick one, Japanese changes just one small word.

The short answer

Between two nouns, と (to) means “and”: you mean both. か (ka) means “or”: you mean one of them. The rest of the sentence stays the same.

Swap と for か and you are no longer buying both. You are buying one, and you have not decided which yet.

と names both things

Put と between two nouns when everything you name is included. Here you are buying breakfast, and you want both items:

The pair パンとたまご (pan to tamago) is one complete list: bread and eggs, nothing left out. The same works for any two nouns:

1. ねこといぬNeko to inuCats and dogs
2. えいごとにほんごをべんきょうしますEigo to nihongo o benkyou shimasu.I study English and Japanese.

か leaves the choice open

Put か between two nouns when only one of them applies. You are buying a drink, but you have not chosen yet:

Only one drink ends up in your bag. か works the same way for times and things:

1. パンかごはんPan ka gohanBread or rice
2. きょうかあした、べんきょうしますKyou ka ashita, benkyou shimasu.I'll study today or tomorrow.

You have said when you will study, but not which of the two days.

Swap one particle, change the plan

Keep everything else the same and change only the particle. The first line includes both foods; the second offers a choice:

1. パンとたまごをたべますPan to tamago o tabemasu.I'll eat bread and eggs.
2. パンかたまごをたべますPan ka tamago o tabemasu.I'll eat bread or eggs.

Days work the same way. With と you study on both days; with か you study on one of them:

1. きょうとあした、べんきょうしますKyou to ashita, benkyou shimasu.I'll study today and tomorrow.
2. きょうかあした、べんきょうしますKyou ka ashita, benkyou shimasu.I'll study today or tomorrow.

Both versions are correct Japanese, so the particle is never a free swap. Ask yourself whether you mean both, or one of them.

か between nouns is not the question か

You may know か from the end of a polite question, as in how to ask questions with か:

There, か closes the sentence and turns it into a question. In コーヒーかおちゃ (koohii ka ocha), か sits between two nouns and offers a choice. Where it sits tells you which job it is doing.

When と does not mean “and”

と has another common job: marking the person you do something with.

Nothing is being listed here, so か cannot replace it: ともだちかいきます does not mean “I'll go with a friend”. If “with” is the meaning you want, see と vs で. The swap in this lesson only works when と joins two nouns.

Use both in one plan

と and か can sit side by side when each sentence has its own decision. Today you have decided; tomorrow you have not:

1. きょうはパンとたまごをかいますKyou wa pan to tamago o kaimasu.Today, I'll buy bread and eggs.
2. あしたはコーヒーかおちゃをかいますAshita wa koohii ka ocha o kaimasu.Tomorrow, I'll buy coffee or tea.

Keep each choice to one pair for now. Longer lists that mix と and か need careful grouping to stay clear.

Common mistakes

• Using と when you mean “or”. えいごとにほんごをべんきょうします says you study both languages. If you will study one of them, say えいごかにほんごをべんきょうします (eigo ka nihongo o benkyou shimasu).
• Using か when you order both. コーヒーかケーキをください asks for coffee or cake, so the server may bring only one. To order both, use と, as in ordering food with ください:

• Reading や as “or”. パンやたまご (pan ya tamago) means “bread, eggs and things like that”: examples from a longer list, not a choice. と vs や covers that difference.

1. パンとたまごPan to tamagoBread and eggs
2. パンかたまごPan ka tamagoBread or eggs
3. パンやたまごPan ya tamagoBread, eggs and things like that

Practise と and か

Pick two foods you like, such as すし (sushi) and ラーメン (raamen). Say one sentence where you will eat both, with と, and one where you will eat one of them, with か. Then say whether you study today and tomorrow, or today or tomorrow, and check that the particle matches what you meant.

Keep this in mind

Between two nouns, と includes both and か offers a choice of one. Before you speak, ask yourself: am I taking both, or choosing between them?

Continue learning

• と vs や: complete lists and lists of examples
• How to order food in Japanese: これをください
• How to ask questions in Japanese with か