Breakdown of watasi ha syuumatu ni sibahu de hon wo yomimasu.
はha
topic particle
本hon
book
私watasi
I
をwo
direct object particle
読むyomu
to read
でde
location particle
にni
time particle
週末syuumatu
weekend
芝生sibahu
lawn
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha syuumatu ni sibahu de hon wo yomimasu.
Why is は used after 私 instead of が?
は is the topic marker, so 私 は means “as for me.” If you used が (the subject marker) you’d be emphasizing 私 as the one doing the action (e.g. in a contrastive or identifying context). In this sentence we’re simply establishing “I” as the topic.
Why do we say 週末 に rather than just 週末?
The particle に marks a specific point in time. Attaching に to 週末 tells us “on the weekend.” Without に, 週末 could still be understood, but adding に makes the time expression grammatically clear and precise.
What’s the role of で after 芝生? Could we use に instead?
で marks the location where an action takes place: “read at/on the grass.” If you used 芝生 に, it would sound like “to the grass” (indicating movement toward). Since reading is a static action happening “on the grass,” you need で.
Why do we need を before 読みます?
を is the direct-object marker. It tells you what the action is acting upon—in this case, 本. Every transitive verb like 読む requires を to mark what is being read.
Can we drop 私 は and just say 週末 に 芝生 で 本 を 読みます?
Yes. In Japanese, you can often omit the topic if it’s clear from context. Without 私 は, it simply reads “On weekends, I read books on the grass,” assuming “I” is understood.
Why does the verb 読みます come at the very end?
Japanese follows a Subject–Object–Verb (SOV) word order. You present the topic or subject, then any modifiers (time, place, object), and finally the verb. The verb at the end completes the action for everything stated before it.
What’s the difference between 読みます and 読む here?
読みます is the polite non-past form (“read” / “will read”), while 読む is the plain/dictionary form. Use 読みます in polite conversation; 読む in casual speech or writing. Both can express habitual actions (“I read every weekend”) or future plans, depending on context.
Does 週末 に always imply every weekend or just one upcoming weekend?
By itself, 週末 に could mean a single weekend (“this weekend”) or habitual weekends (“on weekends”). If you want to express “every weekend” clearly, you might say 毎週末 に. Context usually tells you whether it’s habitual or a one-time plan.