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asa ni itiba de sinsenna sakana wo kau.

朝あさ　に　市場いちば　で　新鮮しんせんな　魚さかな　を　買かう。asa ni itiba de sinsenna sakana wo kau.
In the morning I buy fresh fish at the market.
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Questions & Answers about asa ni itiba de sinsenna sakana wo kau.

Why is the particle に used after 朝, and can I omit it?

The particle に marks a specific point in time when the action happens. In 朝に市場で魚を買う, 朝に means “in the morning.”
You can sometimes drop に with broad time words and write 朝、市場で魚を買う (with a slight pause), especially in headlines or casual notes. However, including に is clearer and more standard when you want to explicitly indicate “at that time.”

Why is で used after 市場 instead of に?
で marks the location where an action takes place (“at the market”). If you used に (市場に買う), it would sound like you’re marking the market as a destination of movement, not the place where you buy something. To show the site of the action, always use で (e.g. 図書館で本を読む).
Why is there no subject like “I” in the sentence?
Japanese often omits the subject when it’s understood from context. In a simple statement like 朝に市場で新鮮な魚を買う, the listener infers that you (or “someone”) do the buying. If you need to clarify or emphasize “I,” you can add 私は at the beginning: 私は朝に市場で新鮮な魚を買う。
Why is 新鮮な followed by 魚? How do I know when to use な or い with adjectives?

Japanese adjectives split into two types:
• い-adjectives end with い (e.g. 美味しい, 大きい) and modify nouns directly.
• な-adjectives (like 新鮮な, 静かな) require a な before the noun they modify.
So 新鮮 is a な-adjective, and you attach な to link it to 魚, yielding 新鮮な魚 (“fresh fish”).

Why is the verb in plain dictionary form 買う? What nuance does it carry?
The plain (dictionary) form 買う is neutral and can express a habitual action (“I buy…”) or a general plan (“I will buy…”). It doesn’t indicate past tense or politeness. Here, it reads like a simple statement of routine: “(I) buy fresh fish at the market in the morning.”
How do I change this sentence to polite speech or past tense?

• Polite present: 朝に市場で新鮮な魚を買います。
• Plain past: 朝に市場で新鮮な魚を買った。
• Polite past: 朝に市場で新鮮な魚を買いました。

Can I change the order of the words, for example putting 市場で before 朝に?

Japanese word order is relatively flexible, but the natural sequence for clarity is time → place → object → verb.
• Standard: 朝に 市場で 新鮮な魚を 買う。
• Less natural: 市場で 朝に 新鮮な魚を 買う。 (understandable but odd)

If I want to emphasize that this is a routine habit, is there any change I should make?

The plain form already suggests a general habit. If you want to stress the habitual aspect even more, you can add いつも (“always”):
いつも朝に市場で新鮮な魚を買う。
This makes it explicit: “I always buy fresh fish at the market in the morning.”