や

[Particle: and (non-exhaustive)]

Connection: Noun A + や + Noun B (+ や + Noun C…)

Lists items as examples, implying there are more. Translates as "things like A and B".

や vs と: や is non-exhaustive (and others); と is exhaustive (only these).

• りんごやバナナを買いました (I bought apples, bananas, etc.)
• りんごとバナナを買いました (I bought apples and bananas — only these)

Often paired with など: りんごやバナナなどを買いました (I bought things like apples and bananas)

Note: や connects nouns only — it cannot connect verbs or sentences (use たり for that).

Examples:

• 週末は映画や買い物をします (On weekends I do things like watching movies and shopping)
• 机の上にペンやノートがあります (There are pens, notebooks, etc. on the desk)