Build a Japanese sentence from familiar Italian ideas.

The idea

Italian commonly places the verb before its object: Leggo un libro. Japanese normally puts the object before the verb: 本を読みます. Particles follow nouns and mark their roles: を marks the object, で the place of an action, and に a destination. Other phrases can change order for emphasis, but the verb normally ends the clause. As in Italian, a subject can be omitted when context makes it clear.

Examples

  • 私わたしは本ほんを読よみます。I read a book.
  • 家いえでお茶ちゃを飲のみます。I drink tea at home.
  • 明日あした、学校がっこうに行いきます。Tomorrow I go to school.
  • 友達ともだちはりんごを食たべます。My friend eats an apple.
  • 図書館としょかんで新聞しんぶんを読よみます。At the library I read a newspaper.
  • 友達ともだちと映画えいがを見みます。I watch a film with a friend.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not translate Italian word for word or mistake は for an object marker. は marks the topic; the topic is not always the grammatical subject.

Try it yourself

  1. Complete: I read a book. 本を＿。

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    読みます

    読みます completes the sentence: 本を is the object and the verb comes last.

  2. Choose the object marker: りんご（を／で）食べます。

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    を

    を marks りんご as the thing eaten; で would mark a place or means.

  3. Choose the final verb: 学校に（行きます／を）。

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    行きます

    行きます is the verb and follows the destination 学校に.

Use it today

Say Leggo un libro, then arrange 本を and 読みます in Japanese order. Try the same with a place phrase.