Verbs - Particles
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Japanese sentence structure is different from English, but it follows a consistent pattern. In this lesson, we'll cover how to use verbs correctly in Japanese sentences and their grammatical placement.

1. Basic Japanese Sentence Structure

Japanese follows this pattern

Subject + Object + Verb

私は水をのむ。
(Watashi wa mizu o nomu.) → I drink water.

Unlike English, where the verb is in the middle (I drink water), in Japanese, the verb always comes at the end.

EnglishJapanese Word Order
I eat sushi.私は寿司をたべる。
He plays games.彼はゲームをする。
She drinks coffee.彼女はコーヒーをのむ。

2. Subjects in Japanese (は, が, and Dropping the Subject)

The subject in Japanese is often marked by は (wa) or が (ga). However, Japanese often omits the subject if it’s obvious from context.

Examples

(私は) 本をよむ。
(Watashi wa hon o yomu.) → I read books.
"watashi wa" can be dropped because it’s understood from context.

(彼は) 映画を見る。
(Kare wa eiga o miru.) → He watches movies.
"kare wa" can be omitted if the listener knows you're talking about him.

3. Using Particles with Verbs

The Key Particles for Verbs:

ParticleFunctionExample Sentence
は (wa)Marks the topic (general statements, contrast, known information)猫は寝る。 (Neko wa neru.) → As for the cat, it sleeps.
が (ga)Marks the subject in certain cases (new information, emphasis, abilities, emotions, existence)猫が寝る。 (Neko ga neru.) → The cat sleeps.
を (o)Marks the direct object (what the action is done to)本を読む。 (Hon o yomu.) → Read a book.
に (ni)Marks destination, time, or indirect object, person, means.学校に行く。 (Gakkō ni iku.) → Go to school.
で (de)Marks the location of an action公園で遊ぶ。 (Kōen de asobu.) → Play at the park.

Examples

は (wa) – Topic Marker

犬は毎朝公園で走る。
(Inu wa maiasa kōen de hashiru.) → "As for the dog, it runs in the park every morning."

私の母は料理が上手だ。
(Watashi no haha wa ryōri ga jōzu da.) → "As for my mother, she is good at cooking."

 

が (ga) – Subject Marker

新しいレストランが開店した。
(Atarashii resutoran ga kaiten shita.) → "A new restaurant has opened."

彼女がピアノを弾ける。
(Kanojo ga piano o hikeru.) → "She can play the piano."

その映画がとても面白かった。
(Sono eiga ga totemo omoshirokatta.) → "That movie was very interesting."

 

を (o) – Direct Object Marker

友達は日本語の本を読んでいる。
(Tomodachi wa Nihongo no hon o yonde iru.) → "My friend is reading a Japanese book."

私は朝ごはんを食べた後、仕事に行く。
(Watashi wa asagohan o tabeta ato, shigoto ni iku.) → "After eating breakfast, I go to work."

 

に (ni) – Destination, Time, Indirect Object Marker

明日、私は東京に行く。
(Ashita, watashi wa Tōkyō ni iku.) → "Tomorrow, I will go to Tokyo."

毎晩10時に寝る。
(Maiban jūji ni neru.) → "I go to bed at 10 PM every night."

先生に質問をした。
(Sensei ni shitsumon o shita.) → "I asked the teacher a question."

 

で (de) – Location of Action, Means, or Method

カフェで勉強するのが好きだ。
(Kafe de benkyō suru no ga suki da.) → "I like studying at a café."

電車で会社に行く。
(Densha de kaisha ni iku.) → "I go to work by train."

箸で寿司を食べる。
(Hashi de sushi o taberu.) → "I eat sushi with chopsticks."