Breakdown of syuumatu ni watasi ha kazoku to issyo ni yama no e wo kakimasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
をwo
direct object particle
とto
companion particle
のno
possessive case particle
にni
time particle
一緒 にissyo ni
together
山yama
mountain
週末syuumatu
weekend
家族kazoku
family
絵e
picture
描くkaku
to draw
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Questions & Answers about syuumatu ni watasi ha kazoku to issyo ni yama no e wo kakimasu.
Why is に used after 週末?
The particle に marks a specific point in time. When you want to say “on the weekend,” you attach に to 週末 so it becomes 週末に, meaning “at/on the weekend.” Without に, it can sound like a more casual headline (“Weekend, I draw…”), but in full sentences you normally include に for precise time expressions.
Why is は used after 私 and not が?
は is the topic marker, showing what the sentence is about: “As for me…” It frames 私 as background context. が is the subject marker, used to introduce or emphasize who does the action. Here you’re simply stating an activity you do regularly, so は is more natural.
What does 家族と一緒に mean and why use both と and 一緒に?
- 家族と means “with (my) family,” using と for accompaniment.
- 一緒に means “together (with someone).”
Combined, 家族と一緒に literally means “together with my family,” emphasizing the joint nature of the action. You could drop 一緒に and still be understood, but adding it makes it clear you’re all doing it as a group.
Why is の used in 山の絵?
The particle の connects two nouns, turning 山 (mountain) into a modifier for 絵 (picture). 山の絵 literally means “mountain’s picture,” which corresponds to “picture of a mountain” in English. Japanese uses の to express this kind of relationship between nouns.
Why is を placed before 描きます?
を marks the direct object of a transitive verb. Here, 山の絵 is what you’re drawing, so it takes を, indicating “draw the picture.”
Why does the sentence end with 描きます? Can’t the verb come earlier?
Japanese follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) order, so the verb almost always appears at the end. All modifiers—time (週末に), topic (私は), companion/manner (家族と一緒に), object (山の絵を)—come before the verb 描きます. Moving the verb earlier would break the natural Japanese word order.
Do I have to say 私? Can I omit it?
Yes. Japanese often drops pronouns when the subject is clear from context. If it’s obvious you’re talking about yourself, you can say 週末に家族と一緒に山の絵を描きます without 私は. Including 私は adds emphasis or clarity but isn’t strictly necessary.