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watasi ha tomodati ni ryuugaku no soudan wo simasita.

私わたし　は　友達ともだち　に　留学りゅうがく　の　相談そうだん　を　しました。watasi ha tomodati ni ryuugaku no soudan wo simasita.
I consulted my friend about studying abroad.
FromLesson 17inHardcore Japanese
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha tomodati ni ryuugaku no soudan wo simasita.

Why is the particle に used with 友達 in this sentence?
The particle に marks the person to whom the action is directed. In 友達に相談をしました, に indicates that your friend is the one you consulted (i.e. “I consulted with my friend”).
Why is の used between 留学 and 相談? Does it mean “possession”?
Here, の is the noun-linking (or attributive) particle, not a possessive. 留学の相談 literally means “consultation about studying abroad.” 留学 modifies 相談, telling us what kind of consultation it was.
Why is を used with 相談 here instead of another particle?
相談 in 相談をする functions as the direct object of the verb する (“to do”). The particle を marks 相談 as the thing you “do”—so you’re literally “doing a consultation.”
What exactly does 相談をする mean, and how is it different from simply saying 相談する?

Both 相談する and 相談をする mean “to consult (ask for advice).”

  • 相談する is the compound-verb form.
  • 相談をする breaks it into the noun 相談 plus the verb する, but the meaning is the same.
    You can use either; 相談する is a bit more concise.
Can 私 be omitted in this sentence? Would 友達に留学の相談をしました be OK?
Yes. Japanese often drops the subject when it’s clear from context. 友達に留学の相談をしました still means “I consulted my friend about studying abroad,” assuming the speaker is understood.
Why is the verb しました in the past tense? Could you use します instead?

しました shows the action was completed (“I consulted”). If you’re talking about a future or habitual action, you’d use します:
友達に留学の相談をします (“I will consult my friend about studying abroad” or “I consult my friend about studying abroad [regularly]”).

Could you replace の with について as in 留学について相談しました? Would that be natural?

Yes. 留学について友達に相談しました is perfectly natural and means the same thing.

  • 留学の相談 is a noun phrase (“a consultation about studying abroad”).
  • 留学について相談する uses について to explicitly mark “about.” Both are common.
Can the word order of 友達に and 留学の相談を be swapped? Is 私は留学の相談を友達にしました acceptable?
Japanese word order is flexible, but the neutral sequence is 友達に留学の相談をしました. Putting 留学の相談を before 友達に (私は留学の相談を友達にしました) is grammatically possible but sounds a bit marked or emphatic. It might emphasize the “study-abroad consultation” over the listener.

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Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".

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