watashi wa jisho de tango no imi o shirabemasu.

topic particle

Breakdown of watashi wa jisho de tango no imi o shirabemasu.

• 私わたし: I
• を: direct object particle
• の: possessive case particle

Questions & Answers about watashi wa jisho de tango no imi o shirabemasu.

Why is は used after 私 instead of が?

は marks the topic of the sentence, not the grammatical subject. It sets 私 as the topic you’re talking about: “As for me, …”. が would instead mark 私 as the subject in a new-information or contrast context (e.g. “I’m the one who…”), but here you simply state what you do.

Why is で used after 辞書 instead of に?

The particle で indicates the means or place of an action. In 辞書で we’re saying “using a dictionary” (instrumental) or “in a dictionary” (location). に marks a destination, point in time, or indirect object, which doesn’t fit “look up in a dictionary.”

What does the particle の do in 単語の意味?

The particle の connects two nouns, showing possession or description. 単語の意味 literally means “the meaning of the word.” の links 単語 (word) to 意味 (meaning).

Why is を used after 意味?

を marks the direct object of the verb. Here 単語の意味 is what you look up, so it gets を before the verb 調べます.

Why is the verb 調べます placed at the end of the sentence?