kaigi no zikan wo memosimasu.

I write down the meeting time.

Breakdown of kaigi no zikan wo memosimasu.

• を: direct object particle
• の: possessive case particle
• 時間じかん: time
• 会議かいぎ: meeting
• メモする: to make a note

Questions & Answers about kaigi no zikan wo memosimasu.

What does の do between 会議 and 時間?

の here is a possessive/attributive particle. It links two nouns and shows a relationship similar to English "of" or "’s".

• 会議の時間 literally: "the time of the meeting" → "the meeting time".
• Structure: A の B → "B of A", "A’s B", or "B related to A".

So 会議の時間 is one noun phrase meaning "meeting time".

Why does を go after 時間 and not after メモ?

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

• Verb: メモします (to make a memo / write down)
• Object: 会議の時間 (the meeting time)

So 会議の時間をメモします = "(I) will write down the meeting time."

If you put を after メモ, you’d be saying that メモ is the object, but メモする is already a verb meaning "to take a memo", so you don’t need that here.

Why is there no subject like 私は or 僕は in the sentence?

In Japanese, the subject is often omitted when it is clear from context.

• English: "I will write down the meeting time."
• Japanese: 会議の時間をメモします。

The "I" is understood from the situation and the fact that you’re usually talking about what you will do. If you really want to emphasize the subject, you can say:

• 私は会議の時間をメモします。
• 僕は会議の時間をメモします。 (more casual, usually male speakers)

But normally it sounds more natural to leave it out unless you need contrast or emphasis.

What is the difference between メモします and メモする?

They are the same verb in different politeness levels:

• メモする: plain form (dictionary form). Used in casual speech, writing, dictionaries.
• メモします: polite -ます form. Used in most everyday polite conversation, with people you’re not close to, in business, etc.

Meaning-wise, both mean "to make a note / to write down."
Only the level of politeness changes.

Can I say メモをします instead of メモします? Is there a difference?

Yes, メモをします is grammatically correct and does appear in real Japanese. But:

• メモします is more common and sounds smoother in most cases.
• メモをします emphasizes doing a memo as a kind of action, like "I’ll do a memo."

In this sentence, both:

• 会議の時間をメモします。
• 会議の時間をメモをします。

are understandable, but the second feels a bit redundant, with を twice:

• 会議の時間を (object)
• メモをします (verb phrase with another object)

Natural choice: 会議の時間をメモします。

Why is メモ written in katakana?

メモ is a loanword (from English "memo"), and most modern foreign loanwords are written in katakana.

Katakana here signals:

• It’s originally a foreign term.
• It’s a modern, everyday word (as opposed to an older native word like 書く, 記す, etc.).

In practice, メモ is almost always written in katakana: メモする, メモします, メモを取る, etc.

What does メモする / メモします actually mean? Is it like "to memorize"?

No, it does not mean "to memorize". It means "to make a memo / to jot down / to write a quick note."

• It implies writing something down, usually briefly, so you won’t forget.
• For "to memorize", Japanese typically uses 覚える (e.g. 単語を覚える – to memorize words).

So 会議の時間をメモします。 is about physically noting the time, not storing it in memory by heart.

How is 会議の時間 read?

It is read:

• 会議 → かいぎ
• の → の
• 時間 → じかん

So the whole phrase is かいぎ の じかん.

Can I change the word order, like メモします、会議の時間を?

Japanese word order is flexible, but there are natural patterns.

The basic order is:

• [Object] を [Verb]
• 会議の時間を メモします。

You can technically move parts around, but:

• メモします、会議の時間を。 sounds unnatural or poetic/dramatic in ordinary speech.
• Neutral, standard Japanese prefers 会議の時間をメモします。

So for normal conversation or writing, keep the object before the verb.

What is the difference between 会議の時間 and 会議の時?

They are related but not the same:

• 会議の時間: "the time of the meeting", "the meeting time"
  Focus is on the time slot (e.g. 3:00–4:00).

• 会議の時: "at the time of the meeting", "when the meeting happens"
  Focus is on the occasion / moment when the meeting takes place.

Your sentence:

• 会議の時間をメモします。
  → You’re writing down the actual time (e.g. "3 p.m.").

If you said:

• 会議の時にメモします。
  → "I’ll take notes during the meeting" (I’ll make memos when the meeting is happening).

Different idea.

Why is 時間 marked with を, not 会議? Isn’t it the meeting that I care about?

Grammatically, the direct object must be a single noun phrase, and here 会議の時間 is that phrase.

• 会議 modifies 時間 via の.
• The whole unit 会議の時間 is the thing you’re writing down.
• So 会議の時間 gets を as a group: 会議の時間をメモします。

You’re not just writing "meeting"; you’re writing the time of the meeting. Therefore, 時間 is the head noun, and the whole phrase 会議の時間 is the object.

Could I say 会議の時間を書きます。 instead of メモします?

Yes, and it would be correct, but the nuance is slightly different:

• メモします: to jot down a quick note; casual, practical "I’ll make a memo of it."
• 書きます: simply "write"; more neutral and general.

So:

• 会議の時間をメモします。 → I’ll jot down the meeting time (on a notepad, phone, etc.).
• 会議の時間を書きます。 → I’ll write the meeting time (maybe on a form, on the board, etc.).

Both are acceptable; メモします highlights the note-taking nuance.

Does メモします mean "I am writing it now" or "I will write it later"?

Japanese -ます form by itself doesn’t clearly mark present vs future the way English does. It’s usually understood from context.

会議の時間をメモします。 could mean:

• "I am (now) writing down the meeting time."
• "I will (soon) write down the meeting time."

If you’re saying it while you’re writing, it’s present. If you’re saying it as a plan (e.g., in a meeting), it naturally means future. Context decides.