Breakdown of shuumatsu ni ryuugakusei to issho ni mori o sanposhimashita.
をo
direct object particle
とto
companion particle
にni
time particle
一緒 にissho ni
together
Questions & Answers about shuumatsu ni ryuugakusei to issho ni mori o sanposhimashita.
Where is the subject “I” in this sentence? Why is it missing?
Japanese often leaves out the subject when it’s clear from context.
In
週末に 留学生と 一緒に 森を 散歩しました。
there is no explicit 私 (I), but it’s understood that the speaker is the one who took the walk.
If you really want to include it, you can say:
- 私は週末に留学生と一緒に森を散歩しました。
“As for me, I took a walk in the forest with an international student on the weekend.”
Leaving out 私 sounds natural in Japanese when the subject is obvious; using 私 every time can sound overly repetitive or unnatural in casual speech.
Why is there に after 週末? Can I say it without に?
に after a time word marks the point in time when something happens.
- 週末に = “on the weekend”
Many time expressions can optionally drop に, especially in casual speech:
- 週末、留学生と一緒に森を散歩しました。
- 週末に、留学生と一緒に森を散歩しました。
Both are correct. The nuance:
- With に: slightly more explicit/precise (“on/at that time”).
- Without に: a bit more relaxed/colloquial, but still normal.
Some time words almost always take に (e.g. ３時に, ８月に), while others usually don’t (e.g. 毎日, 来週). 週末 can go either way.
What does と mean after 留学生? Is it the same と as “and”?
