What is the difference between these 2 sentences in this context? "Hey, I'm kinda thirsty..." 何か、飲み物は残っていますか。何か、飲み物が残っていますか。

@nishishoro

Oh, I see, so, the fact that I'm "using" the contrastive は, doesn't mean that it's not the topic, because it's just a connotation from the particle...

Therefore, in my exemple, there is no way to have a contrastive connotation は with a question because there isn't enough context or something else to be contrasted with in the first place

Thank you so much for explaining that to me

Ah, another questions for u my new friend:

1・

ーバナナが好き。

ーリンゴは?

ーリンゴは好きじゃない。

I'm using a contrastive connotation here right (on the first は)?

・2

ーお金が欲しい。。。

ーお金はあるよ。

Is it right to use は (Topic) here? or should I use が (Neutral)?

おねがいします ( ˙ᵕ˙ 🙏🏼)

nishishoro

8 out 2020

Japonês

1. You are quite correct.

2. が shouldn't be used. Using は is good.

When A said お金が欲しい.
Then B replied. If money was your concern, I have some.　お金はあるよ。
お金 is clearly as topic here. This conversation is corresponding.

お金がある is descriptive expression about money exists here or there.
So, in a scene like this, お金がある will match to A's speech.

When A said お金が欲しい.
Then B found a bundle of money on the street and said:
Hey, look. There is some money. お金があるよ.

But actually, it is not a reply to A's speech.
B said what he has seen apart from A's thought.
This is not a corresponding conversation.　

Highly-rated answerer

Yuushikida

8 out 2020

Português (Brasil)

@nishishoro

Something that I don't know well is how to start a conversation, because I don't know if it's right to use は without an "old information" topic, like in my previous example.

・飲み物は残っていますか。

Here, no one mentioned ou talked about 飲み物 or something else to be contrasted with, but still, it was used in this video instead of が.

Maybe the は is regarding the fact that He is having a metting with Michael?

https://youtu.be/bCTurn_ut68
21:13

nishishoro

9 out 2020

Japonês

You can start conversation with whichever you want to show your intention.

This person used は because he wanted to ask about 飲み物 as topic.It is pure topic and having nothing to do with contrastiveness.
In some cases, contrastive connotation can be filled according to situation/context but not always so.
Also, since 飲み物 has been chosen as topic, his concern is focused on 飲み物. While 食べ物 or デザート or anything else are out of his mind at all.

Then answerer said コーヒーがあります. She described situation by using が.

Actually, it is not a straight answer to the question. For example:
はい、飲み物はいくつかあります。
はい、飲み物はＡ，Ｂ，Ｃがあります。
In such cases, は shows 飲み物 as topic to match the questoner's intention. But those people are not primary school pupils.

コーヒーがあります is telling the situation about coffee which is existing. She has chosen coffee as candidate for the question and added description about how it is now.

If she said コーヒーはあります, coffee becomes her topic (out of questioner's intention) and probably we can assume that contrastive connotation is filled there. She is contrasting コーヒー against 何か.
But another opinion may be different. She has just particularized コーヒー as candidate.

If questioner used が, he wants to ask about state/condition/situation of 飲み物. 飲み物 is subject for state of あります.

In this case, answer of コーヒーがあります matches 100 percent in format as well as in meaning. But this expression can still be acceptable to は-sentence as I analyzed above. It will not ruin flow of conversation.

Highly-rated answerer

Yuushikida

9 out 2020

Português (Brasil)

@nishishoro

Ok, before I close this question, I'll write down what I understand and If I have more question about it I'll ask u right c:

Yuushikida

9 out 2020

Português (Brasil)

@nishishoro

Can you tell me more about your previous asnwser when u said:

1・You are quite correct

and, If I wanna ask for money for exemple, which one should I use?:

お金があるの？
お金はあるの？

nishishoro

9 out 2020

Japonês

I hope this viewpoint will assist you for easier understanding.

は-sentence is apt to be divided by は.
「お金」は「あるの」？

Topic marker brings subject to position of topic and description after は is information/explanation for topic.

が-sentence is different. Because が shows subject as subject for predicate, they cannot be divided like は-sentence.
「お金がある」 as subject-predicate structure must be kept as one unit of concept.

You can use whichever you like according to your intention of placing お金 as topic to collect information for it by お金は, or お金がある as one unit of concept and to expect answer for that concept.

Basically, Japanese language is situation depending language and natives choose most suitable expression for situation. That's why は and が contains vast range of connotation.

So, when this speech is opening for conversation, お金があるの？ seems to sound more natural than お金はあるの？ because speaker ought to ask about お金がある instead of situation/condition of お金は？.

Please don't take this as principle that が should be used for opening speech. It may vary according to contents.　

Highly-rated answerer

Yuushikida

9 out 2020

Português (Brasil)

@nishishoro

It's okay, I don't think that が should always open speech because of my previous question:

・飲み物は残っていますか。

So, It's kinda difficult to know how to start them, and I kind of always see が being used in this kind of sentence like "お金がある", that's why I asked to make sure. But after what u said, I think that the context, and the situation are way more important than "Ah, I'll use this because I always see this being used in this kind of sentence"

Yuushikida

9 out 2020

Português (Brasil)

@nishishoro

Can I assume that in:

・飲み物は残っていますか。"

the questioner knew that there would be some 飲み物 right? that's why he used 残っていますか instead of ある, because if I think this way, makes more sense, since he knew about the existence of 飲み物