watashitachi wa seigi o mamoru.

topic particle

Breakdown of watashitachi wa seigi o mamoru.

• を: direct object particle
• 私わたしたち: we
• 守まもる: to protect

Questions & Answers about watashitachi wa seigi o mamoru.

How do you read this sentence?

It is read:

わたしたち は せいぎ を まもる。

Word by word:

• 私たち = わたしたち
• は = pronounced わ here
• 正義 = せいぎ
• を = pronounced お in modern Japanese
• 守る = まもる

Why is は pronounced wa instead of ha?

When は is used as the topic particle, it is pronounced wa, not ha.

So in this sentence:

• 私たち = we
• は = topic marker, pronounced wa

This is one of the first pronunciation exceptions learners meet in Japanese. The spelling stays は, but the pronunciation changes because it is functioning as a particle.

What does 私たち mean exactly? Is たち the plural?

Yes. 私たち means we, and たち is a common suffix used to make a pronoun refer to a group.

• 私 = I / me
• 私たち = we / us

However, Japanese does not always need an explicit plural marker the way English does. In many situations, Japanese can leave number vague if the context already makes it clear.

Also, たち does not work exactly like an English plural -s in every case. It is often used with people, especially pronouns.