JLPT N5 reference · Sentence foundations
Basic word order and omission
Japanese usually places the predicate last. Topics, times, places, and objects come before it, but context allows information to be omitted much more freely than in English.
Core meaning and form
A useful beginner frame is topic + time + place + object + predicate. Particles show each phrase’s role, so emphasis and context can change the order before the final predicate.
- Topic + は + object + を + verb.
- Time expressions may appear near the beginning.
- Known subjects and objects are often omitted.
Examples in context
私は毎朝コーヒーを飲みます。Watashi wa maiasa kōhī o nomimasu.I drink coffee every morning.
明日、東京へ行きます。Ashita, Tōkyō e ikimasu.I am going to Tokyo tomorrow.
もう食べました。Mō tabemashita.(I/you/we) already ate.
Common errors
- Do not force an English subject into every sentence.
- Keep the verb, adjective, or copula predicate at the end in basic clauses.
Quick summary
- Particles identify grammatical roles.
- The predicate normally closes the clause.
- Omit information that is clear from context.