Learn Hardcore Japanese: raisyuu ha tokuni yotei ga nai kara, aeru. - I have no special plans next week, so I can meet.

は marks the topic: "as for next week." With relative-time words like 来週/明日/今日, に is usually omitted. 来週は sets next week as the frame; 来週 alone also works adverbially. 来週に is uncommon here; prefer 来週は (or bare 来週) in this kind of sentence.

Why is it 予定がない and not 予定はない?

With existence verbs (ある/ない), が is the neutral subject marker: 予定がない = "there are no plans." 予定はない adds contrast/focus ("as for plans, none") and can sound a bit more emphatic or corrective. Both are possible; nuance differs.

What nuance does 特に add here?

特に means "particularly/especially." The pattern 特に〜ない means "nothing in particular." So 特に予定がない softens the negation: "no particular plans," not necessarily "absolutely no plans."

Can I omit particles and say 来週特に予定ないから、会える?

Yes, in casual speech you can drop は/が here: 来週特に予定ない is common. It’s less formal and relies on context. In careful speech or writing, keep the particles.

How does から work here? Can I switch the clause order?

から marks the reason: [reason] から, [result]. You can also say the result first in speech: 会える、来週は特に予定がないから. Both are natural; the meaning doesn’t change.

Could I use ので instead of から? What changes?

ので sounds softer/more formal and frames the reason as more objective. から is more direct. Both fit: …予定がないので、会える vs …予定がないから、会える. With nouns/na-adjectives you use なので/だから accordingly.

Is the sentence polite or casual? How would I say it politely?

It’s casual (plain ない, 会える). Polite versions:

来週は特に予定がありませんから、会えます。
来週は特に予定がないので、会えます。

Does 会える mean "might meet" or "can meet"?

会える is the potential of 会う: "can/be able to meet" (ability/availability), not probability. For "might," use 会えるかもしれない or 会えると思う.

How is 会える formed and conjugated?

From 会う (godan): change う to える → 会える.

Negative: 会えない
Polite: 会えます
Past: 会えた
Polite negative: 会えません

Where’s the person you’re meeting? Should there be に?

会う takes に for the person: あなたに会える, 友だちに会える. It’s omitted here because context supplies who. Add Xに before 会える if needed.

Why is there no explicit subject like "I"?

Japanese drops pronouns when clear from context. Here it’s understood as (I/we). If it’s ambiguous, you can add 私は/僕は at the start, but frequent pronouns can sound unnatural.

Is the comma necessary between the clauses?

No. Punctuation is flexible. …ないから会える。 is fine. Commas simply aid readability. In speech, you can also do result-first: 会える、…ないから.

Could I say 来週なら会える? How is なら different from から?

なら sets a condition ("if it’s next week"), often in response to a proposal. から states a reason. Both are natural; choose based on whether you’re expressing a condition (なら) or explaining availability (から).

What’s the difference between 予定, 計画, and 暇 here?

予定: scheduled appointment/plan (most natural here).
計画: a deliberate plan/project/itinerary; feels bigger or more thought-out.
暇: free time. 来週は暇だから、会える is stronger than 予定がない.

Can I use 会うことができる instead of 会える?

Yes. 会うことができる is more formal or emphatic. In everyday speech, 会える is shorter and more natural.

Is 特別に a good replacement for 特に here?

No. 特別に means "specially/exceptionally" (often modifying an action). To say "nothing in particular," use 特に with a negative: 特に予定がない.