Breaking down sentences is a great way to improve your understanding of Japanese sentences and increase your vocabulary. Let's look at 10 beginner level sentences.
Try to work through the sentences, mousing over unknown kanji to get the furigana. Then click the "Vocabulary and Notes" for our translation and vocabulary notes.
私の名前は、佐藤です。
My name is Sato.
- 私の my [私 (I); の (‘s; possessive particle)]
- 名前 name
- は as for (topic marker) [indicates the subject of the sentence]
- 佐藤 Sato [a common Japanese surname; In Japanese, it's common to introduce yourself with your family name rather than your given name, particularly in more formal situations.]
- です polite copula [follows noun or adjective at the end of a sentence; です is polite copula、and だ is plain copula]
私は、毎日日本語を勉強します。
I study Japanese every day.
- 私 I
- は as for (topic marker) [indicates the topic]
- 毎日 every day [毎 (every); 日 (day)]
- 日本語 Japanese language [日本 (Japan); 語 (language)]
- を object marker [indicates the direct object of the verb]
- 勉強します (I) study [polite form of 勉強する (to study); 勉強し (ます- stem) of勉強する ; “ます- stem V + ます” is the polite form of verbs]
昨日、東京タワーに行きました。
I went to Tokyo Tower yesterday.
- 昨日 yesterday [also pronounced as さくじつ which sounds very formal]
- 東京タワー Tokyo Tower [a famous landmark in Tokyo]
- に to (Tokyo Tower) [particle that indicates the direction, destination or goal of an action and etc.]
- 行きました went [past polite form of 行く (to go); plain past form is 行った (went)]
Do you like cats?
- 猫 cat
- は (contrast marker) [In addition to being the topic marker, it contrasts. 好き (to like; to be found of) is an adjective, not a verb, therefore を (direct object marker) can’t be used here. When it comes to 好き, が (subject marker) is usually used as in “猫が好きです”(I like cats). は here adds emphasis on 猫 by making a contrast to other potential pets. Both “猫が好きですか？” and “猫は、好きですか？” means the same thing. It’s a matter of nuance in relation to the whole context of a conversation. Consider the sentence withは as “As for cats, do you like them?”]
- 好き like; be fond of
- です polite copula
- か question marker [makes a sentence into a question]
This is my pencil.
- これ this
- は as for (topic marker)
- 私の my
- えんぴつ pencil
- です polite copula
彼女は、私の友だちです。
She is my friend.
- 彼女 she
- は as for (topic marker)
- 私の my
- 友だち friend
- です polite copula
I have a test next week.
- 来週 next week [来 (upcoming; next); 週 (week)]
- 試験 test; exam
- が (subject marker)
- あります exist; there is; have [あります is polite form of ある(to exit; there is ; to have); used to indicate the existence of inanimate objects or events.]
Where is your room?
- あなたの your [‘s; possessive particle]
- 部屋 room
- は as for (topic marker)
- どこ where
- です polite copula
- か question marker
This is a red apple.
- これ this
- は as for (topic marker)
- 赤い red; red colored [adjective form of noun, 赤 (red; red color)]
- りんご apple
- です polite copula
I want to eat sushi.
- 私 I
- は topic marker
- おすし sushi
- が (subject marker) [おすし is the direct object of the verb: 食べたい (to want to eat), and usually を is used for it. However, when you want to emphasize the subject, が is used.]
- 食べたい want to eat [食べ (ます- stem of 食べる(to eat)); たい (to want; auxiliary verb); used in the form: “ます- stem V + たい”. ]
Want more sentences? Makoto+ members have access to 50 sentences like this. The download also includes all sound files and an Anki flashcard deck to practice all the sentences. If you are a member, please click here.
Makoto+ Members, click here to download 5 PDFs with 50 sentences, all the sound files, and an Anki flashcard deck just for this lesson. Practice makes perfect!
I really like hearing the Right pitch accent.
The pronounciation is helpful. I like to listen to the pitch accent too.
Thanks! Yes, paying attention to the pitch accents and the overall intonation of the sentences will help improve your pronunciation.
先生、t was really helpful for me., as for pronunciation: I did not expect 友達 and リンゴ to be pronounced like this. But now I know.
Thank you! Sometimes we think we know how a kana is pronounced, and so our brains ignore reality. It’s good to listen for any variations in words. For example, the ん sometimes is pronounced as a nasal “gn” sound. Same thing with が. This is often done in more formal speech, but it is definitely different from the standard “n” and “ga” sound. Keep your ears open!