Breakdown of watasi ha mainiti hodou de inu to issyo ni sanposimasu.
はha
topic particle
犬inu
dog
私watasi
I
とto
companion particle
でde
location particle
一緒 にissyo ni
together
毎日mainiti
every day
歩道hodou
sidewalk
散歩するsanposuru
to take a walk
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha mainiti hodou de inu to issyo ni sanposimasu.
Why is 私 followed by は? What does は do here, and could we use が or even omit 私 altogether?
は is the topic marker. It tells the listener “As for me…,” setting 私 as what the sentence is about. If you used が instead, you’d be emphasizing the subject in a different way (often to introduce new information). In everyday conversation, you can drop 私は entirely if it’s clear you’re talking about yourself. The sentence would still make sense as 毎日 歩道で 犬と一緒に 散歩します。
Why is 毎日 placed before 歩道で? Can we move 毎日 to the end or elsewhere?
毎日 is an adverbial time expression (“every day”) and typically comes before the location phrase or directly before the verb. You could say 歩道で毎日犬と一緒に散歩します, but the more natural order in Japanese is time → place → companion → action:
- 毎日 (when)
- 歩道で (where)
- 犬と一緒に (with whom)
- 散歩します (what)
Why is 歩道 followed by で instead of に or を?
で marks the location where an action takes place. Here, “taking a walk” is the action, so 歩道で means “on the sidewalk.”
- に would mark a destination (“to the sidewalk”), which doesn’t fit “taking a walk.”
- を can sometimes mark a path (e.g. 道を歩く “walk along the road”), but since we say 散歩をする, it’s clearer to use で to show the place of the activity.
What’s the difference between 犬と and 犬と一緒に? Could I just say 犬と散歩します?
犬と alone means “with the dog,” but 一緒に (“together”) emphasizes that you and the dog are doing the walk together. You can say 犬と散歩します, and people will understand “I walk with my dog,” but 犬と一緒に散歩します sounds more natural for “I take a walk together with my dog.”
Why is there a に after 一緒? What does 一緒に mean grammatically?
一緒 by itself is a noun (“together”). To turn it into an adverb modifying the verb, you add the particle に, making 一緒に = “together (with).” Without に, it doesn’t work as a modifier for 散歩します.
Why use 散歩します instead of simply 歩きます?
散歩する is the set phrase for “to take a walk” or “to stroll.” Using 歩く (to walk) is more neutral or functional (“I walk to school”). 散歩します carries the nuance of a leisurely walk, often for exercise or enjoyment.
Can we switch to the plain form 散歩する here? How would that change the sentence?
Yes. In casual speech or writing among friends, you’d say 私(は)毎日歩道で犬と一緒に散歩する。 Dropping ます makes it informal. Just remember your audience—散歩します is polite.
Why is the verb 散歩します at the very end of the sentence?
Japanese is a subject–object–verb (SOV) language. All modifiers (time, place, companion, manner) come before the verb, which wraps up the idea. That’s why 散歩します closes the sentence.
Could we rearrange the sentence for emphasis, like 犬と一緒に毎日歩道で散歩します? Is that natural?
Yes, Japanese word order is relatively flexible. Moving 犬と一緒に earlier emphasizes “with the dog.” Just be mindful of the natural flow: time → place → manner → verb. Any deviation is possible for emphasis, but too much scrambling can sound awkward.