Learn Hardcore Japanese: kare ha kuruma de sigoto ni ikimasu.

は is the topic‐marker. It tells us that 彼 (“he”) is what we’re talking about. In English we might say “As for him, …” so the sentence is literally “As for him, (he) goes to work by car.”

Why is で used after 車 (as in 車で)?

The particle で marks the means or instrument used to do something. 車で means “by car,” indicating the method of transportation.

Why is に used after 仕事 (as in 仕事に行きます)?

The particle に marks the destination or goal of motion. 仕事に行きます literally means “go to work,” with に indicating where “go” is headed.

Why isn’t there an object marker を in this sentence?

There’s no direct object here. 行きます is a motion verb, not a transitive action on an object. Instead of を, we use で for means and に for destination.

Can we change the order of 車で and 仕事に?

Yes. Japanese is fairly flexible. 彼は仕事に車で行きます is also grammatical. However, putting the means (車で) before the destination (仕事に) is more common and often sounds smoother.

Why is 行きます used instead of the plain 行く?

行きます is the polite (〜ます) form of 行く. In casual speech you could say 彼は車で仕事に行く, but in polite or formal contexts you use 行きます.

How do we know if 行きます refers to now, the future, or a habitual action?

Japanese present/future tense is context‐driven. 行きます can mean “(he) goes,” “(he) is going,” or “(he) will go,” depending on time words or situation. If you add 明日 (“tomorrow”), it clearly becomes future.

What happens if we replace は with が, as in 彼が車で仕事に行きます?

が marks the grammatical subject and often adds emphasis or contrast (“He is the one who goes to work by car”). は sets the topic without that contrast element.

Can 彼は be omitted so we just say 車で仕事に行きます?

Yes. Japanese often drops the topic when it’s understood. Without 彼は, the sentence still means “(I/you/he/they) go to work by car,” depending on context.