Learn Hardcore Japanese: kare ha syuumatu ni haha no ryouri no tetudai wo suru. - He helps with his mother's cooking on weekends.

は marks the topic: “as for him…”. It sets what we’re talking about; the rest of the sentence is the comment about that topic. Using が (彼が…) would put focus on “he” as the doer (e.g., in answer to “who helps?”), but for neutral narration 彼は is more natural.

Why is に used with 週末? Could I use は or omit it?

に marks the time point “on (the) weekend(s).” 週末は topicalizes the time, often implying contrast with weekdays and sounding especially habitual: “As for weekends, he helps…”. Omitting に with 週末 is uncommon; you typically omit に with relative-time words like 今日/明日/毎週. 週末には adds emphasis (“at least/especially on weekends”).

How do the two の’s in 母の料理の手伝い work?

It’s a left-branching chain: [母の料理] の手伝い = “help with [mother’s cooking].” English flips the order, but in Japanese you keep stacking の to make a single noun phrase.

Why is を after 手伝い and not after 料理?

Because the pattern here is X の手伝いをする. The direct object marker を attaches to the action noun 手伝い. If you want を after 料理, switch to the verb 手伝う: 料理を手伝う.

Is 手伝いをする the same as 手伝う? Which sounds more natural?

Yes, both mean “to help.” Nを手伝う is the straightforward, very common verb pattern. Nの手伝いをする is a light-verb construction and can feel a bit more roundabout/formal. In this sentence, 彼は週末に母の料理を手伝う is a very natural alternative.

Can I say 料理を手伝いをする?

No. Don’t stack two を. Use either 料理を手伝う or 料理の手伝いをする.

Why not use 助ける for “help”?

助ける is “to save/rescue” or “to aid” a person in trouble. For helping with tasks/chores, use 手伝う. 母を助ける suggests “save my mother,” not “help my mother cook.”

Whose mother does 母 refer to here? Should it be 彼の母?

Without お/さん and without a possessor, 母 usually refers to the speaker’s own mother. So as written, the default reading is “He helps my mother…” (e.g., he’s my brother). If you mean his mother, say 彼の母, 彼のお母さん, or neutrally 彼の母親.

When do I use 母 vs お母さん vs 母親?

母 (はは): your own mother when speaking to outsiders; plain/formal.
お母さん: someone else’s mother (polite) or how children address their own mother; with a possessor it’s polite: 彼のお母さん.
母親: neutral “(a/the) mother,” often used for description: 彼の母親.

Why is the verb in plain form する? Should it be します or している?

Plain する is fine for neutral/informal narration. します is the polite version. For habits, both non-past する and progressive している can express regular activities; 週末は手伝っている emphasizes an ongoing arrangement or current routine.

Does this sentence mean every weekend or just one weekend?

In non-past with 週末, it usually implies a habit: “on weekends.” To make repetition explicit, use 毎週末 or 週末ごとに. For a specific past weekend, say 週末に手伝いをした (“helped on the weekend”).

Can I drop 彼は?

Yes. If the subject is clear from context, Japanese often omits it: 週末に母の料理の手伝いをする. Topics are frequently left out once established.

How flexible is the word order?

Quite flexible as long as particles stay attached. You can say 彼は母の料理の手伝いを週末にする or 週末に彼は母の料理の手伝いをする. The verb normally comes at the end.

What’s the difference between 母の料理の手伝いをする and 母の手伝いをする?

母の手伝いをする = help your/his mother (unspecified task). 母の料理の手伝いをする narrows it to helping with cooking.

How would I say “He helps his mother cook” more directly?

Use the verb pattern: 彼は週末に彼の母の料理を手伝う (or 彼は週末に母親の料理を手伝う). You can also use a clause: 彼は週末に母親が料理するのを手伝う.

Why is the particle は pronounced “wa” here?

The topic particle は is read “wa” due to historical spelling. In regular words like 母 (はは) it’s pronounced “ha.”

Is it okay to chain multiple の’s?

Yes. Japanese commonly stacks の to build noun phrases. Keep chains reasonably short for readability, but 母の料理の手伝い is perfectly natural.

Is 手伝いする correct?

Use 手伝う or 手伝いをする. In polite set phrases you’ll also see (お)手伝いします (the を is often dropped in that fixed expression). 手伝いする is not standard.

Could I add a benefactive like てあげる?

Yes: 母の料理を手伝ってあげる highlights doing it for her benefit. Be mindful that あげる can sound patronizing toward higher-status people; many speakers just use 手伝う unless the benefactive nuance is important.

Does 料理 here mean the food or the act of cooking?

In 料理の手伝い, 料理 refers to the activity (cooking), not the finished dishes.

Do I need spaces between the words?

Standard Japanese doesn’t use spaces: 彼は週末に母の料理の手伝いをする。 The spacing you see is for teaching/clarity only.