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Questions & Answers about tenki ha sugu kawaru.
Why is は used after 天気?
は marks the topic: “As for the weather…”. It frames what you’re talking about and then comments on it. For general statements or known topics, Japanese often prefers は. Here, it presents a general truth about weather.
Could I say 天気がすぐ変わる instead? What’s the nuance?
You can, but the nuance shifts:
- 天気はすぐ変わる: As for weather (in general), it changes quickly. Generic/habitual statement.
- 天気がすぐ変わる: The weather (as the grammatical subject/new info) changes quickly. More like reporting an occurrence or focusing on the subject itself in context.
Who is the subject here? Where is “it”?
Japanese often omits subjects when obvious. The topic 天気 stands in for “it.” So the sentence means “As for the weather, it changes quickly,” without needing an explicit pronoun.
Why is the particle は pronounced “wa”?
The topic particle is written は but pronounced “wa” due to historical spelling conventions. When は is a particle, read it “wa.” When it’s part of a word (e.g., はな), read it “ha.”
Why 変わる and not 変える?
- 変わる (kawaru) = intransitive “to change (by itself).” Weather changes on its own.
- 変える (kaeru) = transitive “to change (something).” You change the channel: チャンネルを変える. Weather doesn’t take a direct object here, so 変わる is correct.
Why isn’t there an を particle?
変わる is intransitive, so there’s no direct object to mark with を. If you used the transitive verb 変える, you would need を (e.g., 予定を変える).
What exactly does すぐ mean here?
すぐ means “immediately/very soon” or “without delay.” In this sentence, it conveys that weather changes with little time gap. It does not mean “nearby” here (that meaning appears in phrases like すぐそこ = “right there”).
Is there a difference between すぐ and すぐに? What about related words like もうすぐ or よく?
- すぐ vs すぐに: Both mean “right away/very soon.” すぐに can feel a bit more explicit or formal, but in speech they’re interchangeable here.
- もうすぐ: “very soon (from now).” E.g., もうすぐ雨が降る = “It will rain very soon.”
- よく: “often/frequently,” not “soon.” 天気はよく変わる = “The weather changes often.”
- Related: 早く = “quickly/early,” たちまち/すぐさま = “in an instant” (more literary/formal).
Where can I place すぐ in the sentence?
Most natural: right before the verb or verb phrase.
- 天気はすぐ(に)変わる (natural) Starting a sentence with すぐ is possible for emphasis, usually with が/は placement adjusted:
- すぐ(に)天気が変わる (emphasizes the timing) Avoid putting すぐ after the verb: 変わるすぐ is not natural.
How do I make it polite?
Use the -ます form: 天気はすぐ変わります。
You can also add a sentence-ending particle for tone: 天気はすぐ変わりますよ。
Can I drop は in casual speech?
Yes. In casual contexts you’ll hear 天気、すぐ変わる or even すぐ変わる if the topic is obvious. The meaning relies on context.
Are spaces normal in Japanese writing?
No. The spaces here are for teaching/clarity. Normally you’d write 天気はすぐ変わる with no spaces.
How do you read each word?
- 天気: てんき (tenki)
- は (topic particle): pronounced “wa”
- すぐ: sugu
- 変わる: かわる (kawaru)
Is 直ぐ an acceptable way to write すぐ?
Yes, 直ぐ exists, but すぐ in hiragana is far more common in modern writing, especially for adverbs.
Which kanji is right for かわる here—変わる, 代わる, or 替わる?
Use 変わる for “to change (state/condition).”
- 代わる = to substitute/replace someone or take turns.
- 替わる = to be replaced/exchanged (swapped items).
Weather changing is about state, so 変わる is correct.
How do I say what it changes into?
Use X が Y に変わる.
- 晴れが雨に変わる = “Clear weather changes to rain.” With weather as topic: 天気は雨に変わることがある (“The weather can change to rain.”)
Does this non-past form mean present or future?
Both. Japanese non-past covers habitual/general truths and future. Here it’s a general truth. With context, it can also imply a near-future reading (especially with もうすぐ or time expressions).
Can I end this sentence with です?
No. です attaches to nouns/adjectives. Here the predicate is a verb (変わる), so you use the verb’s polite form (変わります) rather than adding です.
Are there natural alternative phrasings?
- 天気は変わりやすい。 = “The weather tends to change easily.” (describes tendency)
- Set phrase: 山の天気は変わりやすい。 = “Mountain weather changes quickly.”
- More emphatic/casual: 天気ってすぐ変わるよ。