Breakdown of watasi ha okane ga nai node, ginkou ni ikimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
にni
destination particle
行くiku
to go
がga
subject particle
お金okane
money
ないnai
not exist/have
のでnode
reason particle
銀行ginkou
bank
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha okane ga nai node, ginkou ni ikimasu.
Why do we use は after 私 instead of が?
は is the topic marker, showing that “I” is what the sentence is about. が introduces new or emphasized subjects. Here, we’re not introducing “I” for the first time; we’re just setting “I” as the topic and then giving information about my situation.
Why is お金 followed by が instead of は in お金がない?
When you say お金がない, you’re presenting “no money” as the new, focused piece of information—i.e. “there is no money.” If you used お金はない, it might imply contrast or expectation (“As for money, I don’t have it, but…”) rather than simply stating its nonexistence.
What role does ので play in お金がないので?
ので is a conjunction meaning “because” or “since,” used to connect a reason clause (お金がない) with a result clause (銀行に行きます). It’s a bit softer and more polite than から when giving reasons.
Could we use から instead of ので here? What’s the difference?
Yes, you can say お金がないから、銀行に行きます. から is more direct and common in casual speech, while ので sounds slightly more formal or gentle when explaining a reason.
Why is the verb 行きます in polite form, but the preceding clauses are plain?
Japanese often mix plain-form reason clauses (like お金がないので) with a polite main verb (行きます) to keep the overall sentence polite while making the reasoning flow more naturally. If you wanted fully polite style, you could say お金がありませんので、銀行に行きます.
Why don’t we repeat 私は before 銀行に行きます?
Once a topic is established (here, 私 with は), you generally don’t repeat it. The sentence flow naturally carries 私 as the implied subject of 行きます.
What does the particle に mark in 銀行に行きます?
に indicates the destination or goal of movement. So 銀行に行きます literally means “go to the bank,” with に marking “bank” as the endpoint.
Could we say 銀行へ行きます instead of 銀行に行きます?
Yes. へ also marks direction (“toward the bank”). The nuance is almost the same, though に can imply arriving at the bank, whereas へ focuses more on the direction of movement.