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sensei ha kono mati ni sunde imasu.

先生せんせい　は　この　町まち　に　住すんで　います。sensei ha kono mati ni sunde imasu.
The teacher lives in this town.
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Questions & Answers about sensei ha kono mati ni sunde imasu.

What is the function of the particle は in this sentence, and why is it used instead of が?
  • は marks the topic of the sentence, indicating “about whom” we’re speaking (先生).
  • が marks the grammatical subject or emphasizes new information.
  • Here, “the teacher” is already known, so we use は to set it as the topic rather than to introduce or emphasize it.
Why is there no explicit subject pronoun like my teacher or Mr. Suzuki?
  • Japanese often drops pronouns when the context is clear.
  • Saying 私の先生 (“my teacher”) isn’t necessary if your listener already knows which teacher you mean.
  • Omitting redundant information makes speech more natural.
What does the particle に after 町 indicate? Could we use で instead?
  • に marks a static location where someone or something exists or resides.
  • で marks the place where an action is performed (e.g., 町で働いています: “works in the town”).
  • Since 住む describes the state of living somewhere, に is the correct choice.
Why is the verb 住んでいます used instead of 住みます or 住んだ?
  • 住んでいます is the te-form of 住む plus いる, expressing a continuous state: “is living.”
  • 住みます (polite present) can imply a future action (“will live”) or a habitual action (“lives”).
  • 住んだ is past tense: “lived” (and likely no longer does).
What’s the difference between 住んでいる and 住んでいます?
  • Both are the continuous/state form of 住む.
  • 住んでいる is the plain (dictionary) style.
  • 住んでいます is the polite (-masu) style. Choose based on formality.
Could I say ここに住んでいます instead of この町に住んでいます?
  • Yes. ここ (“here”) feels more immediate or conversational.
  • この町 (“this town”) is more specific or used when pointing out the town itself.
Why is 町 used instead of 街? Is there a meaningful difference?
  • Both are read まち and can mean “town.”
  • 町 often refers to an administrative area or smaller community.
  • 街 can emphasize the street or commercial district aspect.
  • The distinction is subtle and based on nuance.
How do you read 住んで? I thought 住む was すむ.
  • 住む is read すむ.
  • Its te-form changes to すんで (住んで) because む → んで in conjugation.
Why is the verb placed at the end of the sentence? Is Japanese word order flexible?
  • Standard Japanese follows Subject/Topic + (Object) + Verb (SOV).
  • The verb (predicate) almost always comes last in neutral sentences.
  • You can shuffle other elements for emphasis, but the verb usually stays at the end.
How would you express this sentence in casual form or in even more polite/formal language?
  • Casual/plain style: 先生はこの町に住んでいる。
  • More formal/keigo (honorific): 先生はこの町にお住まいです。