Brazilian Portuguese often puts a preposition before a noun; Japanese particles follow the phrase they mark.

The idea

In Portuguese, “para a escola” places para before the destination, while 学校に puts に after it. を marks a direct object, に can mark a destination or recipient, and で marks where an action happens. は introduces a topic; が can mark the subject, often introducing new information. These roles do not map one-to-one onto Portuguese words.

Examples

  • 私わたしは毎日まいにち、本ほんを読よみます。I read a book every day.
  • 今日きょう、友達ともだちが来きます。Today a friend is coming.
  • 明日あした、学校がっこうに行いきます。Tomorrow I will go to school.
  • 学校がっこうで日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。I study Japanese at school.
  • 友達ともだちと駅えきで会あいます。I meet a friend at the station.
  • 先生せんせいに手紙てがみを書かきます。I write a letter to my teacher.

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 every “em” as で: 学校に行きます describes a destination, whereas 学校で勉強します locates an action.

Try it yourself

  1. 本ほん＿読よみます。

    Show answer or example answer

    を

    を marks 本 as the object of reading.

  2. 学校がっこう＿行いきます。

    Show answer or example answer

    に

    に marks 学校 as the destination of going.

  3. 学校がっこう＿勉強べんきょうします。

    Show answer or example answer

    で

    で marks 学校 as the place where studying happens.

Use it today

Fill each blank with the particle that fits the relationship to the verb.