I need a good resource for looking up particles

Question

I have memorize a lot of verbs like at least both Genki books worth and then some. My problem is i don't understand how particles work at all, i have read dozen of articles asked multiple teacher for help and in the end there is just no point in trying to understand how they work; my brain simply cannot understand at all how to use them. So what i want in a resource i can type a verb into and it will tell me the particle's it uses for different things.

for example 借りる is listed in the genki book as a verb to borrow and unlike most verbs in the book it actually has a (を thing) written beside it. This is fairly unhelpful. for example.

昨日東証間で君は私にお金を借りてくれてありがとう。

This possible the correct use of particles for this particular sentence, but i am definitely not sure and some are much worse than this.

Now i can easily memorize things, i just want to take all the verbs i know and memorize what particles are used for that verb. but i want all the particles. not oh 話す use's を i mean yeah form here only because its を i do know it uses the particle で for the location. But lets say i am at the library talking to jordan about mathematics. so well probably I will be followed by ha and library will be followed by de but its less clear how i mark who i am talking to and what about. i would probably guess ni for the person and wo for the topic. However it may be to for the person and some verbs the person is marked with wo and the object is marked with ni.

for example, 今日俺は東証間で友達に数学を話しました。 今日友達は私に昼ご飯をごちそうしました。 so the first one is probably correct. but, 昨日友達は家に大学まで私を送りました。　perhaps the ni should probably be kara but im trying to illustrate a point.

EDIT:　here is an example that is defiantly a complete reversal. 今日私の先生は家に私を呼びました。and 明日私の先生は私に先生の町を案内します。 In the first sentence place ni person wo in the second person ni place wo.

What i am trying to say is its a giant mess and there is no simple way to understand it.

Though less ideal than a resource to look up all the particles would be something i can practice picking the correct particles.

thanks

Answer 1

There are a number of resources I like to use to check particle usage, collocations, and the like (generally what I'd call "Word usage"). Some of these are available for free online; some of these can be acquired through LogoVista's standalone 電子辞書 applications for PC/Mac and mobile, or even though regular 電子辞書; and some are available elsewhere online if you dig around.

I have found the following useful:

• 研究社 新和英中辞典 , which organizes results by particle and also gives common collocations (with 借りる linked as an example). Despite being a 和英辞典, it's surprisingly useful.
• 新明解国語辞典 or online has usage information in the form of e.g. だれからなにを・なにで, which means the particle usage is "somebodyからsomethingをword you're looking up" or "somebodyからsomethingでword you're looking up". You can also find that dictionary on Amazon or on most physical 電子辞書.
• Dictionary of Japanese Collocations (LogoVista for digital or Amazon for physical copy)
• NINJAL's BCCWJ corpus search, which lets you sort results by the most common particles/forms words are collocated with, and gives you the corresponding example sentences
• Goo's collocation dictionary (when you search on Goo, go to the 英和辞典 results and look under the 連語 tab)

A warning if you buy from LogoVista for Windows: you'll need to either change your system to Japanese or download a program that lets you run programs in a different language/locale. I do the latter, myself, using the program referenced in the 2nd answer to this question. You also need to run the installers in that different language to be safe (and probably as administrator). However, the LogoVista software won't let me search in Japanese, so I need to first type my searches somewhere else and then copy and paste them into the dictionary search bar. Really annoying. I don't know how it will work on mobile or Mac, or if changing your entire system locale will fix that issue (but I imagine it would).