kare wa batsu o uketa.

topic particle

Breakdown of kare wa batsu o uketa.

• を: direct object particle
• 彼かれ: he
• 受うける: to receive

Questions & Answers about kare wa batsu o uketa.

How is this sentence read aloud?

It is read:

かれ は ばつ を うけた。
Kare wa batsu o uketa.

A few pronunciation notes:

• 彼 = かれ (kare)
• 罰 = ばつ (batsu)
• を is written を but pronounced お / o
• 受けた = うけた (uketa)

Why is は pronounced wa here instead of ha?

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

So in:

彼は罰を受けた。

the は marks 彼 as the topic, so you say kare wa.

This is one of the first big spelling-vs-pronunciation things learners meet in Japanese.

What does 彼 mean here, and is it always used for he?