Breakdown of watasitati ha eki de koohii wo nomimasu.
はha
topic particle
をwo
direct object particle
飲むnomu
to drink
でde
location particle
コーヒーkoohii
coffee
駅eki
station
私たちwatasitati
we
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Questions & Answers about watasitati ha eki de koohii wo nomimasu.
What is the function of は (pronounced wa) in 私たち は 駅でコーヒーを飲みます?
は is the topic marker. It tells the listener “this is what we’re talking about”—in this case 私たち (“we”). It differs from が, which typically marks the grammatical subject or highlights new information.
Why is で used after 駅, and could you use に or へ instead?
The particle で marks the location where an action takes place (“at the station”).
- に often indicates a destination or the location of existence (“to/at the station” in a static sense).
- へ indicates direction (“toward the station”).
Neither に nor へ correctly express “doing something at” a place the way で does.
What role does を play with コーヒー?
を is the direct-object marker. It shows what is being acted on by the verb. Here, コーヒー is what you’re drinking.
Why is 飲みます at the end of the sentence, and what does the -ます ending indicate?
Japanese follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order, so the verb naturally comes last. The -ます ending is the polite, non-past form of the verb. It can mean both present (“drink”) and future (“will drink”) depending on context.
Why is コーヒー written in katakana?
Katakana is used for foreign loanwords and onomatopoeia. コーヒー is borrowed from English coffee, so it’s written in katakana.
Why is 私たち used explicitly, and can it be omitted?
In Japanese, subjects (including pronouns like 私たち) are often dropped if they’re clear from context. You could simply say 駅でコーヒーを飲みます if “we” is understood. Including 私たち adds clarity or emphasis.
Does 飲みます here indicate a habit, a present action, or a future plan?
The polite non-past 飲みます can express both habitual actions (“regularly drink”) and future intentions (“will drink”). You rely on context—like time expressions or the situation—to know which.
How would you change this sentence to the past tense?
Swap 飲みます for its past form 飲みました. That gives you:
私たちは駅でコーヒーを飲みました。 (“We drank coffee at the station.”)
How would you turn this sentence into a negative statement (“We don’t drink coffee at the station”)?
Use the polite negative form 飲みません instead of 飲みます:
私たちは駅でコーヒーを飲みません。
Why aren’t there articles like “a” or “the” before 駅 or コーヒー?
Japanese has no direct equivalent of English articles. Definiteness or indefiniteness is inferred from context rather than marked by a separate word.