Learn Hardcore Japanese: taiikukan de undoukai no zyunbi wo simasu. - We will prepare for the sports day in the gym.

体育館 is read たいいくかん (taiikukan). It means gymnasium (the school’s indoor sports hall), combining 体育 (“physical education”) + 館 (“building”).

Why is the particle で used after 体育館 rather than に?

Because で marks the place where an action takes place. Here, the action 準備をします (“make preparations”) happens in the gym. In contrast, に would indicate a destination (“to the gym”) or location of existence (“at the gym” with verbs like ある／いる).

Why do we say 運動会の準備をします instead of 運動会を準備します?

Japanese uses the pattern “Xの準備をする” to mean “prepare for X.” The particle の links 運動会 (“sports day”) to 準備 (“preparation”), forming 運動会の準備 (“preparations for the sports day”). Then を marks 準備 as the direct object of する. Saying 運動会を準備します would wrongly make 運動会 itself the direct object.

What does the particle の do in 運動会の準備?

The particle の indicates a possessive or descriptive relationship. In 運動会の準備, it means “the preparations of/for the sports day.” It turns 運動会 into a modifier for 準備.

Why is を used before します?

Because を marks the direct object of the verb する. Here, 準備 is the thing being done, so you say 準備をする (“do/make preparations”).

Can we drop を and say 体育館で運動会の準備します?

Many ～する verbs can drop を in casual speech (e.g. 勉強する, 掃除する). You might hear 運動会の準備する, but in polite form it’s more natural to keep を, i.e. 準備をします. Dropping を isn’t incorrect in very casual contexts, but it sounds less formal.

Why is there no explicit subject (like “we” or “they”) in the sentence?

Japanese often omits the subject when it’s clear from context. In 体育館で運動会の準備をします, the speaker assumes the listener knows who’s doing it (e.g. “we,” “they,” or “the staff”), so it’s left out.

Could you say 運動会の準備を体育館でします instead? Does changing the word order affect meaning?

Yes, you can swap them:
• 体育館で運動会の準備をします
• 運動会の準備を体育館でします
Both mean the same thing. Japanese word order is flexible; you choose the order for emphasis or flow. Starting with the location (体育館で) is most common.

Is there any nuance between 準備をします and 準備します?

Both convey “to prepare.”
• 準備をします explicitly marks 準備 as the object of する.
• 準備します treats 準備する as a single verb (common with suru-verbs).
In polite speech, 準備をします is slightly more common and clearer, but both are acceptable.

Are there other verbs you can use instead of 準備をします to express “to prepare”?

Yes. For example:

用意をします (よういをします): “make arrangements” or “get things ready.”
段取りをします (だんどりをします): “plan/organize the steps.”
設営します (せつえいします): “set up” (for equipment or a venue).
However, 準備をする is the most general way to say “prepare.”