Japanese word order for Brazilian Portuguese speakers

The idea

Brazilian Portuguese commonly puts the verb before its object: “Eu bebo água.” A basic Japanese clause usually puts the verb last: 私は水を飲みます. は marks the topic, を marks the object, and で marks where an action happens. Time and place phrases can move before the verb, changing emphasis; the particles keep their roles. Like Portuguese, Japanese can omit a subject when context makes it clear.

Examples

• 私わたしは水みずを飲のみます。I drink water.
• 友達ともだちは本ほんを読よみます。My friend reads a book.
• 私わたしは家いえでパンを食たべます。I eat bread at home.
• 今日きょう、私わたしはカフェでお茶ちゃを飲のみます。Today I drink tea at a café.
• カフェで、今日きょう、私わたしはお茶ちゃを飲のみます。At a café, I drink tea today.
• 明日あした、学校がっこうに行いきます。I go to school tomorrow.

Watch out

Do not put the object after the verb just because Portuguese does. は marks a topic, which is not always the grammatical subject; で marks an action’s location, while に can mark a destination.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the object marker: 水＿飲みます. （を／で）

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   を

   を marks 水 as the thing drunk, before 飲みます.

2. Choose the final verb: 本を＿。 （読みます／本）

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   読みます

   読みます is the verb “read” and completes the clause after 本を.

3. Choose the marker for the place where eating happens: 家＿パンを食べます。 （で／に）

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   で

   で marks 家 as the place where eating happens.

Use it today

Compare the two café examples, then say where and when you drink tea, keeping the verb at the end.