watashi wa kono chansu o taisetsu ni shimasu.

I will value this opportunity.

Breakdown of watashi wa kono chansu o taisetsu ni shimasu.

• は: topic particle
• 私わたし: I
• を: direct object particle
• この: this
• チャンス: opportunity
• 大切たいせつ に する: to value

Questions & Answers about watashi wa kono chansu o taisetsu ni shimasu.

What is the role of は in 私は here, and how is it different from が?

は is the topic marker. In 私はこのチャンスを大切にします, it sets 私 (I) as the topic: “As for me, …”.

• 私は = “As for me, … / I, (speaking about myself), …”
• The rest of the sentence is information about that topic.

If you used が instead (私がこのチャンスを大切にします), it would emphasize I as the one who will value this chance, often in contrast to someone else:

• 私がこのチャンスを大切にします。
  “I will (be the one to) value this chance.” (implying maybe others won’t, or in response to “Who will do it?”)

So:

• は: sets a general topic, often neutral: “I will value this chance.”
• が: marks the subject with a sense of focus or contrast: “I will be the one who values this chance.”

Why are there two particles, を and に, and what do they each do in this sentence?

In このチャンスを大切にします:

• を marks the direct object:
  このチャンスを = “this chance” as the thing the action is done to.

• に is part of the pattern X に する, here combined with 大切:

  • 大切にする literally: “to do/make (something) in an important/precious way”
  • Functionally: “to value / to cherish / to treat as important”

So the structure is:

• このチャンスを (object)
• 大切に (in an “important” manner)
• します (do)

Altogether: “(I) will treat this chance as something important / I will value this chance.”

What exactly is the grammar of 大切にします? How does 大切 become a kind of verb?

大切 is a na‑adjective (like “important / precious”).

There is a common pattern in Japanese:

[na-adjective] + に + する

This means “to treat (something) as [adjective]” or “to make (something) [adjective]”.

Examples:

• きれいにする – to make (something) clean/neat
• 安全にする – to make (something) safe
• 静かにする – to make (it) quiet / to be quiet

So:

• 大切 (important, precious)
• 大切にする = “to treat as important / to value / to cherish”

In your sentence:

• 大切にします is simply the polite -ます form of 大切にする.

Why can Japanese use します (present tense) but the English translation is “I will value this chance”?

Japanese ます form covers both:

• present/habitual actions: “I value X”
• future actions: “I will value X / I’m going to value X”

Japanese doesn’t have a special “future tense” the way English does. The time is understood from context.

• If the context is about a decision or a future plan, 大切にします is naturally understood as “will value / will cherish”.
• If the context is more general, it could mean “I value this chance (as a rule).”

So します is grammatically “non‑past”, and English chooses will or simple present depending on what sounds natural in context.

Can I omit 私 and just say このチャンスを大切にします?

Yes, and that’s often more natural in Japanese.

• このチャンスを大切にします。

If the subject “I” is clear from context (for example, you are talking about yourself), you normally drop 私. Japanese frequently omits pronouns when they’re obvious.

You would keep 私は when:

• You want to contrast yourself with others: 私は大切にします (“I, at least, will value it.”)
• You are introducing yourself or your stance: “As for me, …”

Is 大切 the same as 大事? Could I say 大事にします instead?

They are very close in meaning and often interchangeable.

• 大切 – “important, precious, cherished”, often with a slightly emotional or “treasure-like” nuance.
• 大事 – “important, serious, significant”, sometimes a bit more practical or serious, but also used in a similar “cherish” sense.

In this sentence:

• このチャンスを大切にします。
• このチャンスを大事にします。

Both are natural and can mean “I will value this opportunity / I’ll make the most of this chance.” The nuance difference is subtle; either is fine for general use.

What nuance does チャンス have compared with 機会 (きかい)?

Both can be translated as “chance” or “opportunity,” but they feel a bit different:

• チャンス (loanword from English)

  • Feels more casual, conversational.
  • Often used for lucky breaks, good opportunities, turning points.
  • E.g. ゴールのチャンス – a chance to score (in sports).

• 機会（きかい）

  • More neutral and sometimes more formal.
  • Used for “occasions” or “opportunities” in a broad sense:
    • 学ぶ機会 – an opportunity to learn
    • 話す機会 – a chance to talk

このチャンスを大切にします sounds like “I will treasure this (special) chance.”
この機会を大切にします sounds slightly more formal: “I will value this opportunity.”

What is the function of この in このチャンス? When would I use その or あの instead?

この, その, あの all mean “this / that” but from different viewpoints:

• この – “this (… near me / that we are just focusing on)”

  • Usually something close to the speaker, or the idea currently in focus.

• その – “that (near you / that you just mentioned)”

  • Often something close to the listener or just mentioned in the conversation.

• あの – “that (over there / distant from both)”

  • Something away from both speaker and listener, or more distant in context.

In practice, conversationally:

• このチャンス – “this chance (we’re talking about right now / I’m experiencing)”
• そのチャンス – “that chance (you mentioned / you have)”
• あのチャンス – “that (earlier / far-off) chance”

In your sentence, このチャンス fits well if you’re talking about an opportunity you are facing now or just received.

Can I change the word order, like このチャンスを私は大切にします? Is that okay?

Yes, Japanese word order is relatively flexible as long as particles are correct.

All of these are grammatically fine and mean broadly the same thing:

• 私はこのチャンスを大切にします。
• このチャンスを私は大切にします。

The second one puts slight emphasis on このチャンスを by moving it to the front, then clarifying that I (not someone else) will value it.

Core rules:

• The verb (here, します) typically comes at the end.
• Nouns with their particles (は, を, に) can be moved around for emphasis or flow.

What exactly is 大切 grammatically? Is に here like turning it into an adverb?

Yes.

• 大切 is a na‑adjective ("important, precious").

• When you add に to a na‑adjective, it often works like turning it into an adverb:

  • 静か → 静かに (quiet → quietly)
  • きれい → きれいに (pretty/clean → neatly/cleanly)
  • 大切 → 大切に (important/precious → in an important/precious way)

Then, combined with する, it forms an idiomatic pattern:

• 大切にする = to treat something in a precious way → “to value / cherish it”

So:

• 大切 = important/precious (adjective)
• 大切に = in an important/precious manner (adverbial form)
• 大切にする = to treat (something) as important/precious

How else could I translate このチャンスを大切にします into natural English?

Depending on context and tone, several translations are possible:

• “I’ll value this opportunity.”
• “I’ll cherish this chance.”
• “I’ll make the most of this opportunity.”
• “I’ll really appreciate this chance.”
• “I’ll treat this opportunity as something precious.”

They all reflect the idea of not wasting or taking the opportunity lightly.

Why don’t we use 愛します if we want to say “I’ll cherish this chance”? Isn’t 愛する “to love”?

愛する is “to love” in a deep, often romantic or very strong sense. It’s used for:

• people you love (partner, family, etc.)
• sometimes abstract things (your country, peace, etc.), in a lofty or literary style.

Using チャンスを愛します would sound unnatural or overly dramatic, like “I’ll love this chance” in a very literal, emotional way.

大切にする (or 大事にする) is the normal, natural way to express:

• “value”
• “cherish”
• “treasure”
• “take good care of”
• “not waste”

So for chances, opportunities, objects, time, relationships, etc., 大切にします is the standard and idiomatic choice.