Breakdown of natuyasumi no mae ni hana wo niwa ni uete okitai.
をwo
direct object particle
のno
possessive case particle
にni
time particle
にni
location particle
〜たい〜tai
to want to
前mae
before
〜て おく〜te oku
to do something in advance
花hana
flower
庭niwa
garden
夏休みnatuyasumi
summer vacation
植えるueru
to plant
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Questions & Answers about natuyasumi no mae ni hana wo niwa ni uete okitai.
What is the function of の in 夏休みの前に?
In Japanese, 前 is a noun meaning “before,” so to specify “before summer vacation” you link 夏休み (summer vacation) and 前 with の, making 夏休みの前 (“the before of summer vacation”).
Why is there a に after 前 (i.e., 前に)?
When you use 前 to mark a point in time (“before …”), you add に to indicate “at that time.” So 前に means “before (that point).”
What does 〜ておきたい mean in 植えておきたい?
The structure 〜ておく means “to do something in advance” (for future convenience or preparation). Attaching 〜たい to the verb expresses the speaker’s desire. So 植えておきたい literally means “I want to plant (the flowers) in advance.”
Why is the verb in the て-form (植えて) rather than the dictionary form 植える?
Because you’re using the 〜ておく construction. You need the 〜て-form of the verb (植えて) plus おく to convey “doing it ahead of time.”
Why is 花 marked with を and not が?
植える is a transitive verb (“to plant something”), so the thing being planted (here, 花) is marked with the direct-object particle を.
Why is 庭 marked with に instead of で? Could I say 庭で植えておきたい?
With 植える, treating the garden as the “destination” where you put the plant calls for に (as in “put into the garden”). You could use 庭で to mean “doing the action in the garden,” but 庭に植える is more natural when you focus on placing something there.
Can I omit the の in 夏休みの前に and just say 夏休み前に?
Yes. Time–noun compounds like 夏休み前 are common, so 夏休み前に花を庭に植えておきたい is perfectly fine and more concise.
Who is the subject of this sentence?
It’s implied “I” (the speaker). Japanese often omits subjects when they’re obvious from context.
Could I remove おきたい and just say 植えたい?
Yes, 植えたい means “I want to plant,” but you lose the nuance of doing it ahead of time. 植えておきたい makes it clear you want to prepare before summer vacation.