youki wo tubusimasu.

Questions & Answers about youki wo tubusimasu.

How do you read 容器をつぶします?

It is read:

ようきをつぶします
Romanization: yōki o tsubushimasu

A couple of useful points:

  • 容器 = ようき
  • The particle を is pronounced o
  • つぶします comes from the verb つぶす

So even though it is written を, you say it like o.

What does 容器 mean, and is it a common word?

容器 means container, receptacle, or vessel.

It is a fairly general word, and it sounds a little more formal or technical than very everyday words like:

  • 箱 = box
  • びん = bottle
  • 缶 = can
  • 入れ物 = container / holder

So 容器 is a broad word for something that holds something else.

Why is を used here?

を marks the direct object of the verb.

In this sentence, the thing being acted on is 容器.
So:

  • 容器 = the container
  • を = marks it as the object
  • つぶします = crushes / will crush

So 容器をつぶします means that the action of crushing is being done to the container.

What form is つぶします?

つぶします is the polite non-past form of つぶす.

Dictionary form:

  • つぶす

Polite form:

  • つぶします

Non-past in Japanese can refer to:

  • a present/habitual action: I crush containers
  • a future action: I will crush the container

The exact time often depends on context.

What kind of verb is つぶす?

つぶす is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object.

That is why it works with を:

  • 容器をつぶす = to crush the container

The related intransitive verb is つぶれる:

  • 容器がつぶれる = the container gets crushed / collapses

This is a very common transitive-intransitive pair in Japanese:

  • つぶす = crush something
  • つぶれる = be crushed / collapse
Does つぶす only mean physically crushing something?

No. つぶす can be used both literally and figuratively.

Literal uses:

  • crushing a can
  • smashing a box
  • flattening a container

Figurative uses:

  • 時間をつぶす = to kill time
  • 店をつぶす = to ruin/force a business to close

In 容器をつぶします, the meaning is clearly the literal one: physically crushing the container.

Why is there no subject in the sentence?

Because Japanese often omits the subject when it is clear from context.

So 容器をつぶします could mean:

  • I crush the container
  • We will crush the container
  • They crush the container

depending on the situation.

Japanese frequently leaves out words like I, you, or they if the listener can already understand them.

Is the sentence normally written with spaces like this?

No. In normal Japanese writing, it would usually be written without spaces:

容器をつぶします。

Spaces are often added in beginner materials to make the parts easier to see.

So the spaced version is helpful for learning, but the natural written form is the one without spaces.

Why is the particle written を if it is pronounced o?

This is just how the object particle works in modern Japanese.

  • Written: を
  • Pronounced: o

This is standard and very common.
So in this sentence, you write 容器をつぶします but say ようきをつぶします.

How is つぶす different from a verb like こわす?

Both can involve damaging something, but the nuance is different.

  • つぶす = crush, smash, flatten, squash
  • こわす = break, destroy

So if the idea is that the container is being physically squashed or flattened, つぶす is a good choice.

For example:

  • 缶をつぶす = crush a can
  • おもちゃをこわす = break a toy

So つぶす focuses more on pressing/crushing the shape.

Can つぶします sound like a command?

By itself, つぶします is just a polite statement, such as I will crush it or we crush it.

It is not the normal command form.

If you wanted a command, you might see:

  • つぶしてください = please crush it
  • つぶせ = crush it! (rough)
  • つぶしなさい = crush it (firm instruction)

So 容器をつぶします sounds more like a statement of action than an order.

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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".

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