Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha gakkou ni ikimasu.

は is the topic marker. It tells us the sentence is about “私.” が is the subject marker, used to introduce or emphasize new information. Since we’re talking about an already known topic (“I”), we use は instead of が.

What role does に play after 学校?

The particle に indicates the destination or goal of movement. 学校に行きます literally means “goes to school,” with に marking where you end up.

Can we use へ instead of に in this sentence?

Yes. 学校へ行きます is also correct. へ marks direction (“toward school”), while に emphasizes arrival or presence (“to school”). The nuance is slight.

Why is 行きます used instead of 行く?

行きます is the polite present/future form (the -ます form) of 行く. You use it in formal or polite contexts. 行く is the plain (dictionary) form, used in casual speech or writing.

Why is 私 explicitly mentioned? Can it be omitted?

Japanese often drops subjects when they’re clear from context. You can simply say 学校に行きます (“(I) go to school”). Including 私 makes it explicit: “I am the one who goes to school.”

Is this sentence present or future tense? How do you say “I will go to school”?

The -ます form covers both present and near future. 行きます can mean “I go” or “I will go” depending on context. To stress the future, add a time expression, e.g. 明日学校に行きます (“I will go to school tomorrow”).

Why is 学校 placed before the verb? Can word order change?

Japanese follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, so the verb comes at the end. Particles (は, に) mark each element’s role, making the order somewhat flexible. However, the verb normally concludes the sentence.

How do you read and write 学校, and what do the kanji mean?

学校 is read がっこう (gakkō). The kanji 学 means “study” or “learn,” and 校 means “school” or “exam institution.” Together, they form “school.”