Japanese word order for Russian readers

The idea

Russian allows flexible order and uses case endings to signal many roles; a common neutral order puts the verb before the object. Japanese usually places the verb at the end. Particles follow nouns: を marks an object, で a place of action, and へ a destination. Other phrases can change order for context, as the two library examples show. A known subject can be omitted.

Examples

• 私わたしは本ほんを読よみます。I read a book.
• 母ははは家いえで茶ちゃを飲のみます。My mother drinks tea at home.
• 今日きょう、友達ともだちと学校がっこうへ行いきます。Today I go to school with a friend.
• 公園こうえんで子供こどもが遊あそびます。A child plays in the park.
• 本ほんを図書館としょかんで読よみます。I read a book at the library.
• 図書館としょかんで本ほんを読よみます。I read a book at the library.

Watch out

Do not carry Russian word order across word for word or treat particles as interchangeable. は marks the topic, which need not be the grammatical subject.

Try it yourself

1. 私わたしは本ほん＿読よみます。

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   を

   を marks 本 as the thing read; 読みます ends the clause.

2. 母ははは家いえ＿茶ちゃを飲のみます。

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   で

   で marks 家 as the place where drinking happens.

3. 友達ともだちと学校がっこうへ＿。（行いきます／本ほん）

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   行きます

   行きます is the verb “go”; it normally closes this clause.

Use it today

Say the library sentence in both orders, keeping each particle with its noun; then complete the three sentences.