Japanese word order for Spanish readers

The idea

Spanish often places the verb before its object: «Leo un libro». Japanese commonly puts the verb at the end: 私は本を読みます. は marks the topic, を the object and で the place of an action. Phrases before the verb can change order for emphasis; the particles still mark their roles. A known subject can be omitted in both languages.

Examples

• 私わたしは本ほんを読よみます。I read a book.
• 母はははお茶ちゃを飲のみます。My mother drinks tea.
• 学校がっこうで昼ひるご飯はんを食たべます。I eat lunch at school.
• 今日きょう、パンを買かいます。Today I buy bread.
• 友達ともだちと駅えきに行いきます。I go to the station with a friend.
• 家いえで映画えいがを見みます。I watch a film at home.

Watch out

Do not translate word by word as 私は読みます本を. Keep each particle after its noun and the verb at the end of the clause.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the final verb for “I read a book”: 私は本を＿。（読みます／本）

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   読みます

   読みます is the verb “read”; it closes the clause after 本を.

2. Choose the particle marking the book as the object: 本＿読みます。（を／で）

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   を

   を marks 本 as the object of reading; で marks an action’s location.

3. Choose the place marker for eating at school: 学校＿昼ご飯を食べます。（で／を）

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   で

   で marks 学校 as the place where the meal happens; を marks the meal as the object.

Use it today

Say «Leo un libro» and rebuild it as topic, object and verb in Japanese. Then try the choices below.