Breakdown of watasi ha sigoto ni ikimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
にni
destination particle
行くiku
to go
仕事sigoto
work
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha sigoto ni ikimasu.
What function does は serve in 私 は 仕事 に 行きます?
は is the topic marker. It tells the listener “as for me…” and sets 私 as the topic of the sentence. In English we naturally translate “As for me, I go to work” as simply “I go to work.”
Why is 仕事 followed by に instead of を?
に marks the destination or goal of movement. Since you’re “going to work,” you need に (destination), not を (direct object). を would be used with verbs that act on an object (e.g. 本を読む “read a book”), but 行く takes a destination particle.
Could I use へ instead of に after 仕事?
Yes. 仕事へ行きます is also grammatically correct. へ emphasizes the direction or path toward “work,” while に more strongly implies “arrival at” your workplace. In everyday speech, に is more common for concrete destinations.
Why include 私? Can I drop it?
Japanese often omits the topic when it’s clear from context. You can simply say 仕事に行きます, and it will still mean “I go to work.” You’d use 私は when you need to contrast (“I go to work, but you stay home”) or emphasize that it’s specifically you.
Does 行きます express present tense or future?
The -ます form in Japanese covers both present and near-future actions. 行きます can mean “I go” (habitually) or “I will go.” If you say 明日 (tomorrow) + 行きます, it clearly signals a future meaning.
What level of politeness is 行きます? How do I make it more casual or more formal?
行きます is the polite (masu-form) non-past.
- Casual/plain: 行く
- More polite/humble (e.g. in very formal or humble speech): 参ります (まいります)
Can I change the word order, for example 仕事に私は行きます?
Japanese word order is relatively flexible, so 仕事に私は行きます is grammatically okay. It shifts the emphasis, making it sound like “As for going to work, it is me who goes,” which can feel marked or emphatic.
What’s the difference between 仕事に行きます and 会社に行きます?
- 会社 (かいしゃ) means “company” or “office building.”
- 仕事 (しごと) means “work” or “one’s job” in an abstract sense.
So 会社に行きます specifies going to your office, while 仕事に行きます means going to do your work (which could be at an office, a client’s site, a factory, etc.).