Word
私 は 会社 に 行く とき、 駅 で 電車 を 乗り換えます。watashi wa kaisha ni iku toki, eki de densha o norikaemasu.
Meaning
When I go to the company, I change trains at the station.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Breakdown of watashi wa kaisha ni iku toki, eki de densha o norikaemasu.
はwa
topic particle
私watashi
I
にni
destination particle
行くiku
to go
をo
direct object particle
でde
location particle
会社kaisha
company
電車densha
train
駅eki
station
ときtoki
when
乗り換えるnorikaeru
to transfer
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Questions & Answers about watashi wa kaisha ni iku toki, eki de densha o norikaemasu.
Why is 私 marked with は instead of が?
は here marks the topic (“as for me”). It sets 私 as the context for the rest of the sentence. Using が would instead introduce 私 as a new or emphasized subject rather than the general topic.
What does the particle に do in 会社に行く?
The particle に indicates the destination or goal of movement. 会社に行く literally means “go to (the) company/office.”
What is the function of とき in 行くとき?
とき attaches to the plain (dictionary) form of a verb to form a time clause meaning “when doing X.” So 行くとき means “when I go” or “on the way.”
How does the verb form change the nuance before とき (dictionary form vs past form)?
– Dictionary form + とき (行くとき): refers to “just before or at the time of going.”
– Past form + とき (行ったとき): refers to “after I have gone.”
The choice controls whether you’re talking about the time leading up to (or during) the action versus after it.
Is the comma after 行くとき mandatory?
No, it’s not grammatically required. It’s often added in writing to clarify the boundary between the subordinate time clause and the main clause.
Why is 駅 followed by で in 駅で乗り換えます?
The particle で marks the location where an action takes place. So 駅で乗り換えます means “I transfer (trains) at the station.”
Why is 電車 marked with を in 電車を乗り換えます?
乗り換える is a transitive verb meaning “to transfer/change” something. The thing being transferred—the train—is its direct object, hence it takes を.
Why is the verb 乗り換えます at the end of the sentence? Can the word order change?
Japanese uses Subject-Object-Verb order. Time clauses and place phrases (like 会社に行くとき, 駅で) and objects (like 電車を) all precede the verb. Moving the verb from the end would break standard Japanese syntax.
Can 私は be omitted here?
Yes. If the topic/subject is clear from context, Japanese often omits it. You can simply say 会社に行くとき、駅で電車を乗り換えます。
Could you use the plain form 乗り換える instead of 乗り換えます?
Absolutely. 乗り換えます is the polite (-masu) form of the dictionary verb 乗り換える. In casual speech or writing you would say 会社に行くとき、駅で電車を乗り換える。