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watasi ha natu ni tumetai mizu wo nomimasu.

私わたし　は　夏なつ　に　冷つめたい　水みず　を　飲のみます。watasi ha natu ni tumetai mizu wo nomimasu.
I drink cold water in summer.
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha natu ni tumetai mizu wo nomimasu.

What does the particle は do here?
  • は marks the topic of the sentence: 私 is “as for me.”
  • It doesn’t mean “am/is/are.” It simply frames what the sentence is about. So the sentence is “As for me, in summer, I drink cold water.”
Can I omit 私は?
  • Yes. Subjects/pronouns are often dropped when obvious.
  • 夏に冷たい水を飲みます。 is perfectly natural.
  • Keep 私は when you need to set the topic or emphasize/contrast “I (as opposed to others).”
Why is に after 夏? Can I say 夏は or 夏には instead?
  • 夏に marks a time point (“in summer”).
  • With seasons, に is fine but often optional in casual speech. You may also see 夏、 (with a comma) used as a time adverb.
  • 夏は makes “summer” the topic, implying contrast: “In summer (as opposed to other seasons) I drink cold water.”
  • 夏には adds both the time marker and contrastive は: “As for in summer, …” It subtly highlights summer more strongly than 夏に.
Why is を used with 水 and not が?
  • を marks the direct object of a transitive verb. You drink what? Water → 水を.
  • が marks the grammatical subject. With transitive 飲む, the thing you drink should be を, not が (except in potential: see below).
  • Note: を is pronounced “o.”
Why is the verb at the end? Is the word order flexible?
  • Japanese is typically SOV (Subject–Object–Verb). Verbs usually come at the end.
  • Word order before the verb is flexible because particles show each word’s role.
  • Variants like 夏に私は冷たい水を飲みます。 or 私は冷たい水を夏に飲みます。 are fine; the most neutral is topic > time > object > verb.
Does 飲みます mean I drink habitually or I will drink?
  • The non-past polite form (飲みます) can mean habit (“I drink”) or future (“I will drink”) depending on context.
  • Here it most naturally reads as a habitual statement. Add adverbs for clarity: よく (often), いつも (always), or a planning phrase like 飲むつもりです (plan to drink).
What politeness level is 飲みます? When would I use 飲む?
  • 飲みます is polite (です/ます style), standard with strangers, at work, etc.
  • 飲む is plain/casual, used with friends/family: 夏に冷たい水を飲む。
Why 冷たい and not 寒い? What about “hot”?
  • 冷たい: cold to the touch (water, objects, skin, food/drink).
  • 寒い: cold weather or feeling cold.
  • Hot counterparts:
    • 熱い: hot to the touch (e.g., お湯が熱い).
    • 暑い: hot weather (e.g., 今日は暑い).
Is 冷たい水 the most natural phrase? When would I say 冷やした水, 氷水, or 冷水?
  • 冷たい水 is everyday, natural “cold water.”
  • 冷やした水: water that has been chilled intentionally (focus on the act/result of chilling).
  • 氷水: ice water (with ice).
  • 冷水（れいすい）: “cold water” in formal/technical contexts (e.g., cold-water tap, therapy).
Are spaces normal in Japanese writing?
  • No. Standard Japanese doesn’t use spaces between words.
  • The natural sentence is 私は夏に冷たい水を飲みます。 (no spaces). Textbooks add spaces for learners.
How do you read/pronounce each part?
  • 私(わたし) は / 夏(なつ) に / 冷たい(つめたい) / 水(みず) を / 飲みます(のみます)
  • Romaji: Watashi wa natsu ni tsumetai mizu o nomimasu.
  • Note: を is pronounced “o.”
Can I say お水 instead of 水?
  • Yes. お水 adds politeness/softness; common when ordering: お水をください。
  • 水 is neutral and fine in statements like this sentence.
  • Overusing お- on everyday nouns can sound overly dainty in writing; use as context requires.
Can I use で instead of に after 夏?
  • No for this meaning. に marks time; で usually marks location, means, or a delimiting point.
  • 夏で doesn’t mean “in summer” for actions like drinking. Use 夏に.
How do I make it negative or past? How do I say “often” or “want to drink”?
  • Polite:
    • Negative: 飲みません
    • Past: 飲みました
    • Past negative: 飲みませんでした
    • Progressive: 飲んでいます (“am drinking”)
  • Plain:
    • Dictionary: 飲む
    • Negative: 飲まない
    • Past: 飲んだ
    • Want to: 飲みたい
  • “Often”: 夏に冷たい水をよく飲みます。
Why no particle between 冷たい and 水? How do I say “The water is cold” vs “cold water”?
  • 冷たい is an i-adjective; it directly modifies the noun: 冷たい水 (“cold water”)—no particle needed.
  • Predicate sentence: 水は冷たい。 (“The water is cold.”)
  • Nominalized “the cold one”: 冷たいのを飲みます。
Is 夏に冷たい水が飲みます correct?
  • No. With transitive 飲みます, the object takes を: 冷たい水を飲みます.
  • If you use the potential form (飲めます = “can drink”), the object typically takes が: 夏に冷たい水が飲めます。 (“I can drink cold water in summer.”)
Where do time and place phrases go?
  • Rule of thumb: Topic > Time > Place > Object > Verb.
  • Example: 私は夏に家で冷たい水を飲みます。
  • You can rearrange non-verb parts for emphasis, but the verb normally stays at the end.