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Learn Hardcore Japanese: butyou ha sugu handansimasita. - The manager made a judgment immediately.

Hardcore Japanese
/Camping with friends
/buchou wa sugu handanshimashita.

buchou wa sugu handanshimashita.

Word

部長ぶちょう　は　すぐ　判断はんだんしました。buchou wa sugu handanshimashita.

Meaning

The manager made a judgment immediately.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Japanese

Lesson

Camping with friends

Breakdown of buchou wa sugu handanshimashita.

部長ぶちょうbuchou

判断はんだんhandan

a judgment; assessment

Questions & Answers about buchou wa sugu handanshimashita.

How do you read 部長?

It is read ぶちょう.

部 = department / section
長 = head / chief

So 部長 means something like department head, manager, or general manager, depending on the company and context.

Why is は used after 部長?

は marks 部長 as the topic of the sentence.

So 部長は means as for the department head... or more naturally in English, just the department head...

In this sentence, は tells you that the sentence is about the department head. A natural English translation usually does not need to show this explicitly.

Why is it は and not が?

Nihon-shiki romanizationwatasi ha tyuugoku kara kimasita

Hepburn romanizationwatashi wa chuugoku kara kimashita

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Both can mark the person doing the action, but they have different nuances.

は = topic marker; often used when the person is already known or being talked about as the topic
が = subject marker; often used when identifying who did something, or when introducing new information

So:

部長はすぐ判断しました。 = As for the department head, he/she decided immediately.
部長がすぐ判断しました。 = It was the department head who decided immediately or the department head decided immediately with a stronger focus on who did it

In many beginner sentences, は is used because it is the more neutral topic-based pattern.

What does すぐ mean here?

すぐ means immediately, right away, or soon depending on context.

In this sentence, it means the decision was made quickly / right away.

It is an adverb, so it modifies the verb 判断しました.

Why is すぐ placed before 判断しました?

In Japanese, adverbs usually come before the verb they modify.

So:

すぐ判断しました = decided immediately

This is very normal Japanese word order.

What is 判断しました exactly?

判断しました is the polite past form of 判断する, which means to judge, to decide, or to make a judgment.

Breakdown:

判断 = judgment / decision
する = to do
判断する = to judge / to decide
判断しました = decided / made a judgment

This is a very common type of Japanese verb called a する-verb.

Is 判断 a noun or a verb?

By itself, 判断 is basically a noun meaning judgment or decision.

To turn it into a verb, Japanese adds する:

判断 = judgment
判断する = to judge / to decide

This pattern is extremely common in Japanese, especially with words of Chinese origin.

Why does the verb end with ました?

ました is the polite past ending.

So 判断しました shows two things:

politeness
past tense

Compare:

判断する = decide / will decide
判断した = decided, plain form
判断します = decide / will decide, polite form
判断しました = decided, polite past

So this sentence is polite and states that the action already happened.

Why is there no object in the sentence? Decided what?

Japanese often leaves out information that is understood from context.

So 部長はすぐ判断しました。 does not say exactly what the department head decided about. That is normal.

English often wants a more complete sentence, but Japanese frequently omits:

the object
the subject
other details

if they are already clear from the situation.

Can the word order change?

Yes, Japanese word order is more flexible than English, as long as the particles and overall structure stay clear.

For example, すぐ could sometimes be moved for emphasis:

部長はすぐ判断しました。
部長は判断をすぐしました。 — possible, but less natural here
すぐ部長は判断しました。 — possible in some contexts, but usually sounds like immediately, the department head decided

The original sentence is the most natural basic order.

Does 判断しました mean judged or decided?

It can mean either, depending on context.

judged = made an evaluation
decided = made a decision

In business or everyday situations, decided is often the most natural translation.

So in this sentence, The department head decided immediately is probably the best natural English rendering.

Can 部長 refer to a woman too?

Yes. 部長 is a job title, not a gendered word.

It can refer to:

a male department head
a female department head

Japanese job titles usually do not show gender unless something else in the sentence makes it clear.

Is this a complete natural sentence in Japanese even without a pronoun like he or she?

Yes, completely natural.

Japanese usually does not use pronouns as often as English does. If the person is clear from context, Japanese often just uses:

the title, like 部長
the name
or nothing at all

So this sentence sounds normal and natural in Japanese.

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