Learn Hardcore Japanese: kazoku ha zyunban de huro ni hairimasu.

In this sentence, 家族 (かぞく) is grammatically singular (“the family”), but the meaning is collective, so in natural English we understand it as the family members.

Japanese usually doesn’t mark plural, so:

家族は順番で風呂に入ります。
= Literally: “The family, in order, enters the bath.”
= Naturally: “The family members take a bath one after another / in turn.”

So it’s talking about each family member taking a bath, but Japanese can express it just with 家族 without a plural marker.

Why is the particle は used after 家族? Could we use が instead?

は marks the topic of the sentence, i.e., what we’re talking about: “As for the family…”

家族は順番で風呂に入ります。
→ “As for the family, (they) take a bath in order.”

If you say:

家族が順番で風呂に入ります。

it’s grammatically correct, but the nuance changes. が strongly marks 家族 as the subject, often used to introduce or identify who does the action:

“It is the family that takes a bath in order (as opposed to someone else).”

In everyday explanation-like sentences (stating a general habit), は is more natural.

What does 順番で mean exactly? How does the particle で work here?

順番 (じゅんばん) means “order” or “sequence.”

The particle で has many uses; here it indicates the manner/condition in which something is done, similar to “by / in / in the form of” in English.

So:

順番で ≒ “in order,” “in sequence,” “by taking turns.”

Thus:

順番で風呂に入ります。
= “(They) take a bath in order / one after another.”

You can think of it as “enter the bath in the manner of a sequence.”

Why is it 順番で and not 順番に? What’s the difference between 〜で and 〜に here?

Both 順番で and 順番に can appear in similar contexts, but the nuance is slightly different.

順番で focuses on the arrangement/manner as a kind of “setting” or “circumstance.”
→ “(They do it) with an order, as a system / under a sequence.”
順番に focuses more on the progression step by step, “one then the next then the next.”
→ “(They do it) sequentially / one after another.”

In many everyday sentences, they can both sound natural:

家族は順番で風呂に入ります。
家族は順番に風呂に入ります。

Both are understandable as “The family members take a bath in turn.”
順番に emphasizes the process; 順番で emphasizes the setup/method.

What exactly does 風呂に入ります mean? Is it literally “enter the bath,” or is it “take a bath”?

Literally, 風呂に入る (ふろにはいる) means “to enter the bath,” but idiomatically it is used in Japanese as “to take a bath” / “to bathe (in a bathtub).”

So:

風呂に入ります。
= “(I/they) take a bath.”

This usually implies a Japanese-style bath: washing the body outside the tub, then soaking in the tub. It is not just “getting wet”; it’s the full “taking a bath” action.

In contrast:

シャワーを浴びます。 = “(I/they) take a shower.”

Why is the particle に used with 風呂 in 風呂に入ります?

The verb 入る (はいる) means “to enter, go into.” With verbs of movement or change of state, に often marks the destination/target.

部屋に入る = enter the room
箱に入る = go into the box
風呂に入る = go into the bath → take a bath

So 風呂に answers the question “enter where?”
That’s why に is used, not を or で.

What tense is 入ります? Does this mean “take a bath now,” “usually take a bath,” or “will take a bath”?

入ります is the polite non‑past form of 入る.
Japanese non‑past can cover:

Habitual / regular actions
→ “(They) usually take a bath (this way).”
General facts
→ “(They) take a bath (in this manner).”
Future actions (depending on context)
→ “(They) will take a bath.”

In this sentence, because it’s describing how the family bathes in general, the most natural interpretation is habitual:

“The family members take baths in turn (as a routine).”

Context would tell you if it’s about a specific future event instead.

Is there any difference between 風呂 and お風呂 here? Which is more natural?

風呂 (ふろ) and お風呂 (おふろ) refer to the same thing (bath/bathtub), but:

お風呂 uses the honorific prefix お‑, making it:
- a bit more polite / soft,
- more common in everyday speech, especially with kids, family, or polite conversation.

So you will very often hear:

家族は順番でお風呂に入ります。

The meaning is the same; お風呂 just sounds more natural and friendly in ordinary conversation.

Could the word order be changed, like 家族は風呂に順番で入ります? Is that correct?

家族は風呂に順番で入ります。 is grammatically possible, but it sounds less natural and a bit clunky.

In Japanese, adverbial phrases often come before the main verb and are commonly ordered so that:

Manner / condition (like 順番で)
Then place/time phrases (like 風呂に)

So:

家族は順番で風呂に入ります。
feels smoother and more natural than
家族は風呂に順番で入ります。

Native speakers tend to keep 順番で close to the verb but before the place in this kind of sentence.

Can I say 一人ずつ風呂に入ります instead of 順番で風呂に入ります? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can, but the nuance changes slightly.

順番で風呂に入ります。
= “(They) take baths in order / according to a sequence.”
→ Emphasizes that there is some order (maybe fixed, maybe not).
一人ずつ風呂に入ります。
= “(They) take baths one by one / one at a time.”
→ Emphasizes that it’s not all at once, but individually.

In many family-bath contexts, both describe a similar real-life situation, but:

順番で hints at taking turns in some sequence.
一人ずつ just states they go individually, without necessarily highlighting an established order.

You could even combine them:

家族は一人ずつ順番で風呂に入ります。
(The family members take turns bathing one by one.)

Does this sentence imply anything culturally specific about Japanese baths?

Yes, it reflects a common Japanese household bathing custom:

There is usually one bathtub, and family members share the same bathwater, entering the tub one after another.
They wash themselves outside the tub first, then soak in the tub.
Because they share the bathtub, there is a bath order (for example: children first, then parents, etc.).

So 家族は順番で風呂に入ります。 very naturally fits this cultural image: family members taking turns using the same bathroom/bathtub, rather than everyone having entirely separate baths.

Can we drop particles here in casual speech, like saying 家族は順番で風呂入ります?

In casual spoken Japanese, some particles, especially に before common verbs, can be omitted, and listeners still understand.

So you might hear:

家族は順番で風呂入ります。

However:

This is more casual/colloquial,
風呂に入る with に is the standard, correct form, especially in writing or polite speech.

It’s good practice to keep the particles while you’re learning:

家族は順番で風呂に入ります。 (recommended form)

What is the dictionary form of 入ります, and how is it read?

The dictionary form of 入ります is:

入る (はいる) – “to enter, to go in.”

Forms:

入る – plain non-past
入ります – polite non-past
入りました – polite past

In this sentence:

入ります (はいります) = polite, non-past form of 入る, used here for “take (a bath)”.