Eight particles and what they do
Choose a particle to see its main uses. Each example has every word glossed; the particle’s gloss is the tone it adds, in brackets, because it has no word-for-word translation.
Where particles go
Particles sit in the middle field, between the conjugated verb and the rest of the sentence. They come after pronouns but usually before nouns and nicht. Several particles can combine, in a fairly fixed order: ja doch mal.
Particles in a real exchange
Two flatmates. Without the red particles the dialogue would be correct but cold. Every word has its English meaning underneath.
Komm doch mal vorbei!
Particles often come in twos or threes, and their order is fixed. The usual sequence is ja → denn → doch → mal: the more “shared knowledge” a particle expresses, the earlier it goes.
Eben! Doch! Na also! Schon gut.
Some particles work alone as a complete answer. They are among the most natural-sounding things a learner can say.