Learn Hardcore Japanese: watasi ha ie de syukudai wo suru.

は does not always mark the grammatical subject; it marks the topic.
In many sentences, the topic and subject are the same, which is why it often feels like a subject marker to English speakers.
In natural Japanese, the topic (私) plus は is often omitted when it’s obvious from context.

Why is は pronounced “wa” here and not “ha”?

When は is used as a particle (like in 私は), it is always pronounced “wa”.

When は is part of a word, it is pronounced “ha”:

Word: 花 (はな) → hana
Particle: 私は → watashi wa

This is an orthographic convention that comes from historical Japanese. Today you just memorize:

Topic particle は → pronounced “wa”
As part of a normal word → pronounced “ha”

What does で mean after 家, and why isn’t it に?

で marks the place where an action happens.

In 家で宿題をする:

家 = home / house
で = at (place where the action is done)
So: “do homework at home”

Contrast with に:

に often marks:
- destination: 学校に行く → go to school
- location of existence: 家にいる → be at home

So:

家で宿題をする = do homework at home (action happening there)
家にいる = be at home (existence at that place)
家に帰る = go back home (destination)

What does を do in 宿題をする?

を is the direct object marker.

In 宿題をする:

宿題 = homework
を = marks what is being done
する = do

So 宿題をする literally means “do homework”:

宿題 = the thing being acted on
を = shows “homework” is the object of する

Can I change the word order, like in English?

Japanese word order is much more flexible than English, but the verb normally goes at the end.

Basic pattern here:

[Topic] は [Place] で [Object] を [Verb]
→ 私は家で宿題をする

Common variations that are still natural:

私は宿題を家でする
家で私は宿題をする (emphasis on at home)

What you cannot do is move the verb to the middle like English:

✗ する私は家で宿題を
✗ 私はする宿題を家で

So: particles (は, で, を) show each word’s role, which allows some flexibility, but the verb stays at the end.

Is 私 necessary? Can I just say 家で宿題をする?

Yes, you can (and usually would) drop 私 if it is obvious from context.

私は家で宿題をする。
家で宿題をする。 (subject implied as “I” in many contexts)

In Japanese:

Pronouns like 私, あなた, 彼, 彼女 are omitted a lot when context makes it clear.
Overusing 私 or あなた can sound unnatural or overly formal / stiff.

In a conversation about your routine, 家で宿題をする alone is perfectly natural as “I do homework at home.”

Why is the verb する used here, and what does it mean?

する is a very common verb meaning “to do”.

It can:

Take a direct object (as here):
- 宿題をする = do homework
- 勉強をする = do (some) studying
- 運動をする = do exercise
Turn many nouns into verbs:
- 勉強 (study) → 勉強する (to study)
- 電話 (telephone) → 電話する (to call)
- 運動 (exercise) → 運動する (to exercise)

So 宿題をする is the standard, neutral way to say “do homework.”

There is also やる, which can sometimes replace する and can sound more casual or rough, but 宿題をする is the safest and most standard form.

What tense is する here? Does it mean “I do” or “I will do”?

Plain する is the non-past form. It can mean:

habitual / general: I do homework at home (in general)
future (especially with context): I will do my homework at home (later)

So 私は家で宿題をする can be understood as:

“I usually do my homework at home.”
or, in the right context,
“I’ll do my homework at home.”

Other forms:

した = did (past plain)
します = do / will do (polite non-past)
しました = did (polite past)

Example:

昨日、家で宿題をした。 = I did my homework at home yesterday.
今夜、家で宿題をする。 = I’ll do my homework at home tonight.

Can I say 宿題する without を? Is that correct?

Yes, 宿題する is also used, especially in speech.

Patterns:

宿題をする – fully explicit, very standard
宿題する – natural in casual conversation

In spoken Japanese, を after many direct objects can be omitted, especially with very common combinations like:

勉強(を)する
宿題(を)する

But you cannot omit the verb する.
So:

✓ 宿題をする
✓ 宿題する (more casual)
✗ 宿題を (incomplete – no verb)

What is the difference between 家 (いえ) and うち?

Both can be translated as “home”, but their nuance is different.

家 (いえ)
- Literally “house” (the physical building).
- Can also refer to “home” in a more neutral way.
うち
- More like “home” as a personal space or “my place / our place.”
- Often used when talking about your own home.

In this sentence:

家で宿題をする – fine and natural: “do homework at home / at the house.”
うちで宿題をする – often feels like “do homework at my place / at home,” a bit more personal.

For a beginner, using 家で宿題をする is totally safe and natural.

Why isn’t there a word for “my” in “my homework” or “my house”?

Japanese often leaves out possessives like my, your, his, her when they are obvious from context.

English: I do my homework at my house.
Japanese: 私は家で宿題をする。

Here, because 私 is the topic:

It’s automatically understood that 家 is “my house” and 宿題 is “my homework.”

You can say:

私は私の家で私の宿題をする。

but that sounds overly repetitive or childish in normal conversation. Only add 私の when you need to contrast or clarify:

兄の宿題じゃなくて、私の宿題をする。
→ Not my older brother’s homework, but my homework.

Can I use が instead of は here? What would change?

You could say 私が家で宿題をする, but the nuance is different.

私は家で宿題をする。
- は marks topic: “As for me, I do homework at home.”
- Neutral statement about your routine; very natural.
私が家で宿題をする。
- が highlights 私 as the one who does it, often with a sense of contrast or focus:
  - “I am the one who does homework at home (not someone else).”
- This form is more likely inside a larger sentence, e.g.:
  - 私が家で宿題をするのは静かだからだ。
    → The reason I do homework at home is that it’s quiet.

For a simple, stand-alone sentence describing your routine, 私は家で宿題をする is the natural choice.