watashi wa sakana o tabemasu ga, niku wa tabemasen.

I eat fish, but I do not eat meat.

Breakdown of watashi wa sakana o tabemasu ga, niku wa tabemasen.

• は: topic particle
• 私わたし: I
• を: direct object particle
• 食たべる: to eat
• 魚さかな: fish
• 肉にく: meat
• が: but

Questions & Answers about watashi wa sakana o tabemasu ga, niku wa tabemasen.

What does が between 食べます and 肉 mean?

In this sentence, が is a clause-linking particle that means but or however. It connects the first clause 魚を食べます with the second clause 肉は食べません, indicating a contrast between eating fish and not eating meat.

Why is 魚 marked with を but 肉 marked with は in the second clause instead of を?

Here, 魚を食べます uses を because fish is the direct object of the verb 食べる (to eat). In the second clause, 肉は食べません, は marks 肉 as the topic of the negative statement and highlights the contrast. You could say 肉を食べません to mean “I don’t eat meat,” but 肉は食べません emphasizes as for meat, I don’t eat it.

Why is there 私は at the beginning? Can I omit it?

私は sets I as the topic: as for me. In Japanese, topics are often marked explicitly, especially in polite or formal statements. If the subject is clear from context, you can drop 私は and simply say 魚を食べますが、肉は食べません with the same overall meaning.

What are the forms 食べます and 食べません?

These are the polite present affirmative form (食べます) and the polite present negative form (食べません) of the verb 食べる (to eat). This -ます/ません pattern is called the -masu form and is used to speak politely.

Could you replace が with けど in this sentence?

Yes. In casual conversation, you can say 魚を食べますけど、肉は食べません. The meaning stays “I eat fish, but I don’t eat meat.” Here, が is more formal, while けど feels more conversational. In very formal writing you might use しかし instead of either.

Can the sentence be rearranged, for example to 魚は食べますが、肉は食べません?

Absolutely. By making 魚 the topic, 魚は食べますが、肉は食べません focuses first on fish. Dropping 私は shifts the emphasis from the speaker to the foods themselves. Both versions are correct; you choose based on what you want to highlight.

Why is 魚を placed before 食べます rather than after?

Japanese typically follows Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order. The direct object, marked by を, comes immediately before the verb. So 魚を食べます literally reads “(I) fish eat.”

How would you say this sentence in casual (plain) form?

Switch the polite -ます/ません forms to dictionary forms 食べる (affirmative) and 食べない (negative). For example:
• 私は魚を食べるけど、肉は食べない。
Or drop 私は if context is clear:
• 魚を食べるけど、肉は食べない。