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Word Order

8 min

The verb comes last and particles mark each word’s role; time, place and object stand before it, and a modifier stands before its noun. Put the verb last, and the other words with their particles before it: 私わたしはパンを食たべます。

Summary

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PointRuleExampleEnglishLevel
Patternsubject + は + noun + を + verb私わたしはパンを食たべます。I eat bread.
VerbThe verb, or です, ends the sentence.私わたしは学生がくせいです。I am a student.
ParticlesThe particle marks the role, not the position.いぬがねこを見みます。 / ねこがいぬを見みます。The dog looks at the cat. / The cat looks at the dog.
Time and placeTime first, then place, then object, then the verb.私わたしはけさ、うちでパンを食たべました。I ate bread at home this morning.
ModifierA modifier stands before its noun.これは小ちいさいねこです。This is a small cat.
NumberA number follows its noun and particle.私わたしはりんごをふたつ食たべます。I eat two apples.
Dropped wordsA subject that is clear stays unsaid, and so does あなた.コーヒーを飲のみますか。 — はい、飲のみます。Do you drink coffee? — Yes, I do.
Free orderParticle phrases may swap; the verb stays last.私わたしはうちでパンを食たべます。 = 私わたしはパンをうちで食たべます。I eat bread at home.
TrapNothing but か, ね or よ follows the verb.私わたしはパンを食たべます。I eat bread.
Trap小ちいさい and 日本にほんの come before the noun they describe.これは日本にほんの本ほんです。This is a Japanese book.

Overview

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  • The verb comes last: the sentence ends with it, or with です. 私わたしはパンを食たべます。I eat bread.
  • A particle after each word marks its role; the meaning follows the particles, not the position. いぬがねこを見みます。 / ねこがいぬを見みます。The dog looks at the cat. / The cat looks at the dog.
  • A modifier stands before its noun, and the noun it describes comes last. これは私わたしの小ちいさいねこです。This is my small cat.
  • A question keeps the order and ends in か. See Questions.

Form: the order of a sentence

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FormExampleEnglishLevel
subject + は + verbアンナさんは来きます。Anna is coming.
subject + は + noun + を + verb私わたしはパンを食たべます。I eat bread.
subject + は + noun + へ + verb私わたしはがっこうへ行いきます。I go to school.
subject + は + the time + noun + で + noun + を + verb私わたしはけさ、うちでパンを食たべました。I ate bread at home this morning.
noun + は + noun + です私わたしは学生がくせいです。I am a student.
  • Nothing follows the verb but か, ね or よ. アンナさんはパンを食たべますか。Does Anna eat bread?
  • The topic with は stands first. See は and が.

Time and place

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RuleExampleEnglishLevel
Time before place, place before object私わたしはけさ、うちでパンを食たべました。I ate bread at home this morning.
A day word stands alone, with no particleあした日本にほんへ行いきます。I am going to Japan tomorrow.
From the wide to the narrow: day, then hour日曜日にちようびの十時じゅうじにともだちにあいます。On Sunday at ten o’clock I meet a friend.

Particles carry the roles

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RuleExampleEnglishLevel
Swap the particles and the meaning swapsいぬがねこを見みます。 / ねこがいぬを見みます。The dog looks at the cat. / The cat looks at the dog.
Swap the phrases and the meaning stays私わたしはうちでパンを食たべます。 = 私わたしはパンをうちで食たべます。I eat bread at home.

Modifiers before the noun

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RuleExampleEnglishLevel
adjective + nounこれは小ちいさいねこです。This is a small cat.
noun + の + nounこれは私わたしの本ほんです。 / これは日本にほんの本ほんです。This is my book. / This is a Japanese book.
Number after the noun and its particle私わたしはりんごをふたつ食たべます。I eat two apples.

Dropped words

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RuleExampleEnglishLevel
あなた stays unsaid: the question is enoughコーヒーを飲のみますか。 — はい、飲のみます。Do you drink coffee? — Yes, I do.
A subject that has been named carries over to the next sentenceきのう、ともだちにあいました。いっしょにごはんを食たべました。Yesterday I met a friend. We ate a meal together.
Casual speech also drops the particlesもう、ごはん食たべた？Have you eaten yet?

Typical errors

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WrongRightRuleLevel
私わたしは食たべますパンを。私わたしはパンを食たべます。the verb comes last, after the object with its particle
あなたはコーヒーを飲のみますか。コーヒーを飲のみますか。あなた sounds blunt; when the listener is clear, the question stands without a subject

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