Breakdown of natu ni watasi ha umi de oyogimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
でde
location particle
にni
time particle
夏natu
summer
海umi
sea
泳ぐoyogu
to swim
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have hundreds of Japanese lessons and thousands of exercises.
Questions & Answers about natu ni watasi ha umi de oyogimasu.
Why is に used after 夏?
The particle に marks a specific point or period in time when an action occurs. Here 夏に means “in summer,” indicating when the swimming happens. Without に, 夏 would just be a noun without the time‐expression function.
Why is は used after 私 instead of が?
は is the topic‐marker, introducing what the sentence is about (in this case, “as for me”). が marks the grammatical subject or emphasizes it, but learners often start sentences by setting the topic with は. So 私は means “as for me,” and then the rest of the sentence describes what “I” do.
Why is で used after 海?
The particle で marks the location where an action takes place. 海で泳ぎます literally means “(I) swim at the sea.” If you used に instead, it would mean “to the sea” (destination) rather than “at the sea” (place of action).
Why is the verb 泳ぎます in the present tense? Doesn’t it mean “I will swim”?
Japanese present‐tense verbs can express both current habitual actions and future plans. Here, 泳ぎます can be understood as “I swim (habitually) in the summer” or “I will swim in the summer,” depending on context. English often separates present and future, but Japanese uses the same non-past form.
Why can’t we say 海を泳ぎます instead of 海で泳ぎます?
The particle を marks a direct object—something you “do” to. Swimming is an intransitive action performed at a place. So you swim in/at someplace, which uses で, not を, because you’re not “acting on” the sea; you’re “in” it.
Why is the sentence order Time – Topic – Place – Verb instead of Subject – Verb – Object?
Japanese typically follows a flexible order with the pattern:
1) Time expressions (often marked by に)
2) Topic/Subject (marked by は or が)
3) Place (marked by で, に, etc.)
4) Verb or predicate at the end.
So 夏に / 私は / 海で / 泳ぎます fits this common structure.
Do we need 私は, or can you drop it?
In Japanese, pronouns and even topics are often omitted when they’re clear from context. You could simply say 夏に海で泳ぎます if it’s obvious you’re talking about yourself. Including 私は adds clarity or contrast (“As for me, I swim…”).
Could に and で be used interchangeably here?
No. に indicates a target or destination (e.g., “go to the sea” = 海に行きます), while で indicates where an action happens (e.g., “swim at the sea” = 海で泳ぎます). Mixing them changes the meaning or makes the sentence ungrammatical.