Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha syuumatu ni hon wo yomimasu.

は is the topic marker, indicating “as for me.” It sets 私 as the theme of the sentence. In contrast, が is the subject marker and often introduces new information or emphasizes who is doing the action. Saying 私が週末に本を読みます would sound like you’re stressing that you (and not someone else) read on weekends.

What does the particle に do in 週末に?

に marks a specific point in time. So 週末に means “on weekends.” Many temporal expressions use に (e.g. 火曜日に “on Tuesday,” 3時に “at 3 o’clock”).

Why is を used after 本?

を is the direct-object marker, showing that 本 (“book[s]”) is what you’re reading.

Why is the verb 読みます at the end of the sentence?

Japanese follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, so verbs (and verb phrases) come at the very end.

Why do we use 読みます instead of 読む?

読みます is the polite -ます form of 読む. You’d use 読む in casual speech or writing; 読みます is more polite or formal.

Does 読みます indicate present tense or future tense here?

Japanese doesn’t strictly distinguish “present” vs. “future” in verb forms. The -ます form here expresses either a habitual action (“I read on weekends”) or a planned/future action (“I will read on the weekend”), and context tells you which—in this case, it’s a habitual routine.

Can we omit 私は here?

Yes. Japanese often drops the topic or subject when it’s clear from context. 週末に本を読みます still means “I read books on weekends.”

Why is there no plural marker on 本 if it means “books”?

Japanese nouns don’t change form for plural. 本 can mean “a book” or “books” depending on context.

Could I rearrange the sentence to 私は本を週末に読みます? Would it change the meaning?

Yes—you can reorder time phrases and objects freely because particles (は, を, に) mark each word’s function. The overall meaning stays the same; slight shifts in word order can add nuance or emphasis.

How do you pronounce 週末, 本, and 読みます?

週末 is しゅうまつ (shūmatsu), 本 is ほん (hon), and 読みます is よみます (yomimasu).