Japanese Basic Sentence Structure

Key Concepts

• Topic-Comment Structure: In Japanese, you mention the topic first and then add a comment about it.
  • Example: Talking about coffee.
    • In Japanese: Konokohi (this coffee) + comment (e.g., "bought at Starbucks yesterday").
    • Note: The topic can often omit the particle "wa" in casual conversation.
  • Example Sentence (Literal Translation):
    • Japanese: Konokohi wa kinou Starbucks de kaimashita (This coffee, yesterday bought at Starbucks).
    • English: "I bought this coffee at Starbucks yesterday." (Subject: I, Verb: bought, Object: this coffee).

Examples

• Talking about a person:
  • Mention person’s name first, then comment.
  • Example: Asking Tanaka about something.
    • Say: Tanakasan + comment about Tanaka.
• Talking about an object:
  • Mention the object first, then comment.
  • Example: Disliking a book.
    • Say: Konohon (this book) + comment (e.g., "I don’t like").

Differences from English

• English Sentence Structure: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).
  • Example: "I don't like this book." (I is the subject).
• Japanese Sentence Structure: Topic + Comment.
  • Example: Konohon ga kirai desu (This book, don't like).

Tips for Natural Japanese

• Get used to the topic-comment structure to speak more naturally.
• Frequently omit the particle "wa" in casual conversation.
• Focus on mentioning the topic first before commenting.

Remember: Topic first, then comment!