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watasi ha zyugyou no mae ni megane wo kakemasu.

私わたし　は　授業じゅぎょう　の　前まえ　に　眼鏡めがね　を　かけます。watasi ha zyugyou no mae ni megane wo kakemasu.
I put on my glasses before class.
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha zyugyou no mae ni megane wo kakemasu.

What is the role of は in 私 は 授業 の 前 に 眼鏡 を かけます?

は is the topic marker. It marks 私 (I) as the topic of the sentence – what the sentence is about.

  • 私 = I / me
  • 私 は = As for me / I (topic)

So the sentence is saying, As for me, (I) put on glasses before class.

You could also say 私は is not exactly “subject” in a grammatical sense, but in beginner explanations it’s often treated like “subject” because it behaves similarly in many simple sentences.

Why do we need の in 授業 の 前 に?

の is linking 授業 (class) and 前 (before) to make the phrase 授業の前 = before class.

Pattern:

  • Noun + の + Noun
    • 授業 の 前 = the time before class
    • 昼ご飯 の 前 = before lunch
    • 試験 の 前 = before the exam

Without の, 授業前 can exist as a compound noun in some contexts, but 授業の前に is the standard, natural way to say “before class” in a sentence like this, especially for learners.

What does に do in 前 に? Why can’t it be left out?

Here, に is a time marker. It attaches to a time expression and tells you when something happens.

  • 授業の前 = (the time) before class
  • 授業の前 に = before class (as the time at which the action happens)

Compare:

  • 7時に起きます。= I get up at 7 o’clock.
  • 授業の前に眼鏡をかけます。= I put on my glasses before class.

In this sentence, leaving out に (saying 授業の前 眼鏡をかけます) would sound unnatural or wrong. The に is needed to mark the time phrase clearly.

Why is it 眼鏡 を かけます and not some other verb?

In Japanese, specific verbs are used for “putting on” different kinds of things:

  • 眼鏡をかける – put on / wear glasses
  • 帽子をかぶる – put on / wear a hat
  • 服を着る – put on / wear clothes (upper body)
  • 靴をはく – put on / wear shoes, pants, socks, etc.

So 眼鏡をかけます is the standard, fixed expression for put on glasses or wear glasses. Using another verb like する here (眼鏡をします) would sound unnatural.

What is the dictionary form of かけます, and how does it conjugate?

The dictionary (plain) form of かけます is かける.

Basic conjugations (polite form):

  • Non-past: かけます = (I) put on / will put on
  • Negative: かけません = do not put on / will not put on
  • Past: かけました = put on (past)
  • Past negative: かけませんでした

Plain (casual) equivalents:

  • かける – (I) put on
  • かけない – don’t put on
  • かけた – put on (past)
  • かけなかった – didn’t put on

In this sentence, かけます is polite speech.

Does 眼鏡をかけます mean “I put on my glasses right now” or “I usually put on my glasses”?

By itself, the non-past ～ます form can mean:

  • a habit / routine, or
  • a future or general action.

Here, because of 授業の前に (“before class”), the most natural reading is habitual:

  • I (usually) put on my glasses before class.

In the right context, it could also be understood as a specific future plan:

  • I will put on my glasses before class (this time).

Japanese doesn’t distinguish simple present and future as clearly as English; context decides.

What’s the difference between 眼鏡をかけます and 眼鏡をかけています?

  • 眼鏡をかけます

    • Focuses on the action of putting on glasses, or on a habit.
    • e.g. I put on my glasses before class. (habit)

  • 眼鏡をかけています

    • Describes the state of currently wearing glasses.
    • e.g. I am wearing glasses (right now).

So:

  • 授業の前に眼鏡をかけます。
    = I (habitually) put on my glasses before class.

  • 今、眼鏡をかけています。
    = I am wearing glasses now.

Can I drop 私 and just say 授業の前に眼鏡をかけます?

Yes, and that’s very natural.

Japanese often drops pronouns like 私 when the subject is clear from context. In everyday speech, people would more commonly say:

  • 授業の前に眼鏡をかけます。

Using 私 は is useful:

  • when you first introduce yourself or your habits,
  • when you contrast your habit with someone else’s (私は…, 友達は…).

But in many contexts, it’s perfectly fine and more native-like to omit 私.

Is the word order fixed? Can I say 私は眼鏡を授業の前にかけます instead?

Japanese word order is more flexible than English, but not all orders sound equally natural.

Most natural here:

  • 私は 授業の前に 眼鏡をかけます。 (very natural)
  • 授業の前に 私は眼鏡をかけます。 (also fine; different emphasis)

私は眼鏡を授業の前にかけます is grammatically possible, but it sounds a bit awkward and less natural. Time expressions like 授業の前に usually come before the object phrase (眼鏡を), especially in simple sentences.

Why is it 眼鏡 を with を? What does を do here?

を marks the direct object of the verb – the thing that the action is done to.

  • 眼鏡 を かけます。
    = (I) put on glasses.

Pattern:

  • Noun + を
    • transitive verb
      • 本 を 読みます。= read a book
      • ドア を 開けます。= open the door
      • 眼鏡 を かけます。= put on glasses

So を shows that 眼鏡 is what is being “put on.”

What level of politeness is this sentence, and how would it look in casual speech?

The sentence uses ます form (かけます), so it’s polite / neutral polite – good for talking to teachers, classmates you’re not close to, coworkers, etc.

Casual version:

  • 授業の前に眼鏡をかける。
  • Or with topic: 私は授業の前に眼鏡をかける。

Same meaning; just less formal.