Breakdown of siken no mae ni nooto wo nando mo yomikaesimasu.
Questions & Answers about siken no mae ni nooto wo nando mo yomikaesimasu.
の here connects two nouns: 試験 (exam) and 前 (before/front).
- Pattern: Noun + の + Noun → “the Noun of Noun”, “Noun’s Noun”
- 試験の前 literally = “the time before the exam”
So の is like “of / ’s” in English, turning 前 into “the period before the exam.”
前 is a noun meaning “before / in front / the time before.” To say something happens at that time, Japanese uses the time/location particle に.
- Pattern: time expression + に + verb
- ３時に 行きます。 = I’ll go at 3 o’clock.
- 試験の前に 勉強します。 = I study before the exam.
So 前に together means “before (that time)” as a time point/period when the action happens.
It’s omitted. Japanese often leaves out the subject when it’s clear from context.
- Full version: （私は）試験の前にノートを何度も読み返します。
- 私は = “I (as for me)”, but it’s usually dropped if everyone knows you’re talking about yourself.
Depending on context, it could also mean a general habit like “People / we usually reread our notes before exams,” but in most learner contexts it’s “I.”
を marks the direct object of the verb – the thing the action is done to.
- ノート = notes / notebook(s)
- ノートを 読み返します = “(I) reread the notes.”
So を tells you that ノート is what is being reread.
In very casual speech, を might be dropped in fast conversation, but in correct standard Japanese you should include it.
- 何度 literally = “how many times”
- 何度も = “many times / over and over / repeatedly”
It implies repetition of the same action.
Comparison:
何度も and 何回も
- Both mean “many times / again and again.”
- 度 and 回 are both counters for times/occurrences; in this usage they’re largely interchangeable.
- 何度も読み返します ≈ 何回も読み返します.
たくさん
- Means “a lot / many / much” in general.
- With actions, you’d usually say:
- たくさん勉強します = I study a lot.
- To express “many times,” you more naturally say 何回も / 何度も rather than たくさん.
So 何度も focuses on doing the same action repeatedly, not just “a large amount” in general.
も here strengthens the idea of “many,” giving the feel of “so many times” or “lots of times (enough that we don’t count).”
Pattern: 何 + counter + も → “many / countless ”
- 何度も = many times
- 何回も = many times
- 何枚も = many sheets
- 何人も = many people
So 何度も読み返します implies “I reread (them) over and over again,” not just once or twice.
読み返します is the polite ます form of 読み返す.
Breakdown:
- 読む = to read
- 返す = to return / to turn back
- 読み返す (読む + 返す) = to read again, to reread, to go back and read through
Nuance:
読み返す suggests going back over something you’ve already read, often to review or confirm it carefully.
Comparison:
- 読む = simply “to read”
- 読み直す = also “to reread,” often with a nuance of “redoing” the reading, maybe more carefully or correctly this time
In many contexts, 読み返す and 読み直す overlap and can both mean “reread.”
Here, 読み返します fits the “review my notes (again and again)” idea very well.
〜ます is the standard polite form used in most formal or neutral situations.
- Dictionary/plain form: 読み返す
- Polite form: 読み返します
Use 読み返します when:
- Talking to a teacher, boss, or someone you’re not close to
- Speaking in class, giving a presentation
- Writing compositions, tests, textbooks (unless told to use plain style)
Use 読み返す with friends, family, or in casual writing/dialogue.
The meaning is the same; only the politeness level changes.
Yes, Japanese word order is flexible because particles mark each word’s role. The verb still usually comes last, but elements before it can move around.
Original:
- 試験の前に ノートを 何度も 読み返します。
Possible variations:
- ノートを 試験の前に 何度も 読み返します。
- 試験の前に 何度も ノートを 読み返します。
All of these are grammatically fine and mean essentially the same thing. Differences are mostly in emphasis or rhythm:
- Putting 試験の前に at the beginning naturally sets the time frame first (very common).
- Moving ノートを earlier can slightly highlight what you reread.
What you generally shouldn’t do is break up obvious chunks too much, like:
- ✕ 試験の前に ノートを 読み返します 何度も。 (sounds unnatural)
Keep modifiers like 何度も close to the verb they relate to.
There are two common patterns:
Noun + の前に
- 試験の前に ノートを読み返します。
= Before the exam, I reread my notes.
Here 試験 is just a noun; 試験の前 = “the time before the exam.”
- 試験の前に ノートを読み返します。
Dictionary-form verb + 前に
- 試験を受ける前に ノートを読み返します。
= Before I take the exam, I reread my notes.
Here 試験を受ける is a verb phrase (“take the exam”), and you attach 前に directly to the verb in dictionary form.
- 試験を受ける前に ノートを読み返します。
Nuance:
- 試験の前に = general time before the exam (as an event/time slot).
- 試験を受ける前に = a bit more explicit about the action of taking the exam.
In many contexts, they’re both fine and very close in meaning.
Japanese doesn’t have a separate future tense. The “non-past” form (〜ます / dictionary form) covers both:
- Present / habitual: “I read (habitually).”
- Future: “I will read.”
Which meaning you choose depends on context.
In this sentence:
- 試験の前に ノートを何度も読み返します。
It could mean:
- Habitual: “Before exams, I (always) reread my notes many times.”
- Future: “Before the exam, I’ll reread my notes many times.”
If the context is “talking about what I usually do,” it’s (1).
If the context is “talking about the upcoming exam,” we naturally hear (2).
To highlight the habitual/generic meaning, Japanese often adds は:
- 試験の前には ノートを何度も読み返します。
(As for the time before exams, I reread my notes many times.)
Adding は makes 試験の前 the topic and often gives a nuance of contrast or habit.
試験の前に ノートを何度も読み返します。
= Before the exam, I (will) reread my notes many times.
(A simple factual statement, can be about this specific exam.)試験の前には ノートを何度も読み返します。
= Before exams, I reread my notes many times.
= As for the time before exams, I reread my notes many times.
(Sounds more like a general habit or rule.)
は often:
- Marks a topic: “As for X…”
- Can imply “at least / in contrast to other times”
So 試験の前には is very natural when talking about your usual exam-time routine.
Japanese nouns generally don’t mark singular vs plural, so ノート can mean:
- a notebook
- notebooks
- your written notes
Here, 試験の前にノートを何度も読み返します。 will usually be understood as:
- “I reread my notes many times before the exam.”
If you needed to be very specific (e.g., “three notebooks”), you would add a counter:
- ノートを３冊 読み返します。 = I reread three notebooks.
But in normal study context, ノート naturally means “my notes / my notebook(s).”