Breakdown of jitensha ni raito o tsukemasu.
にni
destination particle
をo
direct object particle
自転車jitensha
bicycle
ライトraito
light
Questions & Answers about jitensha ni raito o tsukemasu.
What does the particle に after 自転車 indicate?
In this sentence, に marks the target or location where you attach something. It’s like saying “to” or “onto” in English: “attach a light to the bicycle.”
Why is ライト written in katakana?
ライト is a loanword from English (light), so it’s written in katakana. Native Japanese words typically use kanji or hiragana, while foreign borrowings use katakana.
Why does ライト take the particle を instead of に?
The particle を marks the direct object—the thing being directly affected by the verb. Here, the light is what you’re attaching, so it takes を. Meanwhile, に marks the place or object you attach to (the bicycle).
What kind of verb is 付けます, and how is it different from 付く?
付けます is the polite form of the transitive verb 付ける (“to attach” or “to install”). Its intransitive counterpart is 付く, which means “to be attached” or “to stick.” Because someone is doing the attaching in this sentence, you need the transitive 付ける.
Why is the subject (for example, ) omitted here?
