…
Breakdown of watasi ha eki ni ikimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
にni
destination particle
行くiku
to go
駅eki
station
Questions & Answers about watasi ha eki ni ikimasu.
What is the function of the particle は in this sentence?
は, pronounced wa, is the topic marker. It tells the listener that 私 (“I”) is the topic of the sentence—“as for me, …”—and frames the information that follows.
Why is に used after 駅 instead of another particle like を or で?
に marks the destination or goal of movement. In 駅に行きます, it indicates you’re going “to the station.” You would use で to mark the location of an action (e.g., 駅で待つ “wait at the station”) and を for a direct object.
How do you read 駅 and what does it mean?
駅 is read eki and means “station” (commonly a train or subway station).
What is the difference between 行きます and 行く?
行く is the dictionary/plain form (“to go”), used in casual speech or writing. 行きます is its polite present form, used in formal or polite contexts.
Can you omit 私は in this sentence?
Yes. Japanese often drops the topic when it’s clear from context. 駅に行きます on its own can mean “I’m going to the station” if it’s understood who is speaking.
How would you make this sentence past tense or negative?
- Past tense: change 行きます to 行きました → 私は駅に行きました。 (“I went to the station.”)
- Negative: change 行きます to 行きません → 私は駅に行きません。 (“I do not go to the station.”)
Why is the verb placed at the end, unlike in English?
Japanese follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order. Particles like は and に mark each element’s role so the verb can naturally come at the end.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning JapaneseMaster Japanese — from watasi ha eki ni ikimasu to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions