Breakdown of watasi ha kaisya ni densya de ikimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
にni
destination particle
行くiku
to go
会社kaisya
company
電車densya
train
でde
means particle
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha kaisya ni densya de ikimasu.
What is the function of は in this sentence?
は marks the topic of the sentence, indicating that what follows comments on 私 (“as for me…”) rather than marking the grammatical subject.
Why is 会社 followed by に and not another particle?
The particle に marks the destination or goal of a movement verb. 会社に行きます literally means “go to the company.”
Why do we use で after 電車?
で indicates the means or instrument used to perform the action. 電車で行きます means “go by train.”
Why don’t we use を with 電車?
を marks a direct object, but 電車 here is not something being acted upon—it’s the means of transport. If you wanted to say “board the train,” you’d say 電車に乗ります, where に marks the target of the action.
Can we omit 私 in this sentence?
Yes. Japanese often omits pronouns when context is clear. 会社に電車で行きます still implies “I go to the company by train.”
Can we switch the order of 会社に and 電車で?
Yes. Japanese word order is fairly flexible when particles are used. 電車で会社に行きます (instrument first, then destination) is more common, but 会社に電車で行きます is also grammatical and can emphasize the destination.
What’s the difference between 行きます and 行く?
行きます is the polite -masu form, while 行く is the plain or dictionary form. Both mean “to go,” but 行きます is used in polite contexts.
Can we use が instead of は, like 私が会社に電車で行きます?
Using が highlights 私 as the specific subject, often to answer “who?” or show contrast. 私は sets 私 as the broader topic. In simple statements about yourself, は is more natural.