Learn Hardcore Japanese: iie, kyou ha eiga wo mimasen. - No, I will not watch a movie today.

In Japanese, subjects are often dropped when they’re clear from context. Here, the implied subject is “I” (or “we,” depending on context), but since it’s obvious who’s speaking, there’s no need to say 私 or 僕.

Why is the particle は used after 今日, and how do we pronounce it?

The particle は marks the sentence’s topic (“as for today…”). Although it’s written with the hiragana は, when used as a particle it’s always pronounced wa.

Why not use the subject marker が after 今日?

が introduces or highlights a subject (often new information). は, by contrast, sets a known topic and shifts attention to the rest of the sentence. Time expressions like “today” usually take は to indicate “as for today…” rather than emphasizing “today” as new.

Why is the comma written after いいえ?

That comma represents a short pause in speech, just like in English you might say, “No, I’m not going.” It helps separate the “no” from the main clause.

What’s the difference between いいえ and いえ?

いいえ (double い) is the interjection “no.”
いえ (single い) means “house” or “home.”

Why is を used after 映画? Can we omit it?

The particle を marks the direct object of a verb—in this case, 映画 is what you’re watching. In casual speech you sometimes hear particles dropped, but in polite or standard sentences it’s best to include を for clarity.

What does 見ません mean exactly, and why is it in this form?

見ません is the polite non-past negative form of 見る (to see/watch). It literally means “do not watch” or “will not watch.” Japanese uses the same non-past form for both present and future actions, so here it conveys “I won’t watch (a movie) today.”

If I wanted to say “I wasn’t going to watch,” do I need a different form?

Yes. To express past negative, you’d use 見ませんでした (“did not watch” / “was not going to watch”).

Why not use the progressive 見ていません to say “I am not watching”?

見ていません indicates an ongoing action you’re not doing right now (“I am not in the process of watching”). In our example, we’re talking about a plan or habit for the day (“I won’t watch”), so we use the simple non-past negative 見ません.

Where else can time expressions like 今日 appear in a sentence?

Time words in Japanese are flexible. You can place 今日 at the beginning (as here), between subject and object, or even at the end before the verb:
– 今日は映画を見ません。
– （私は）映画を今日は見ません。
– （私は）映画を見ません、今日。
All sound natural, but putting it first is the most common in everyday speech.