Breakdown of kodomo wa gohan o tabemasu.
はwa
topic particle
子供kodomo
child
をo
direct object particle
ご飯gohan
rice
食べるtaberu
to eat
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Questions & Answers about kodomo wa gohan o tabemasu.
What does 子供 mean, and is it singular or plural?
子供 (こども) can mean child or children. Japanese nouns don’t change form for singular or plural; context tells you whether it’s one or many.
How do you read 子供, ご飯, and 食べます?
子供 is read こども (kodomo), ご飯 is ごはん (gohan), and 食べます is たべます (tabemasu).
What role does the particle は play in this sentence?
は marks the topic of the sentence. It indicates that, as for the child, that is what we are talking about.
Why isn’t が used instead of は?
が marks the grammatical subject and often highlights new or emphasized information, whereas は sets up a familiar topic or contrast.
What is the function of を in ご飯を食べます?
を marks the direct object of the verb, showing that ご飯 is what is being eaten.
Why does the verb come at the end of the sentence?
Japanese follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) order, so the verb naturally appears at the end.
Why is there no article like the or a before 子供?
Japanese doesn’t have articles. Whether something is definite or indefinite is understood from context.
Why is the prefix ご used in ご飯?
ご is an honorific or polite prefix attached to certain nouns (often those of Chinese origin) to show respect or politeness.
What politeness level is 食べます, and what would the plain form be?
食べます is the polite (masu) form of the verb. The plain or dictionary form is 食べる.