kare ha omoi nimotu wo hitori de hakobou to simasita ga, dekimasen desita.

運ぼうとしました breaks down like this:

• 運ぶ = to carry
• 運ぼう = volitional form, roughly let’s carry / I will carry
• とする = to do, and after a volitional form it creates the pattern V-volitional + とする, which means to try to do
• しました = polite past of する

So:

• 運ぼうとする = to try to carry
• 運ぼうとしました = tried to carry

This is a very common grammar pattern:

• 食べようとする = try to eat
• 行こうとする = try to go

It often focuses on the attempt itself.

Here, と is part of the fixed grammar pattern volitional form + とする.

So this is not the same as the と meaning and or with. It is also not something you would translate directly in this sentence.

Think of this as one chunk:

• 運ぼうとする = to try to carry

In many grammar patterns, と connects a quoted thought, intention, or content to a verb like 言う, 思う, or する. Historically, 運ぼう is like the content of the intention, and とする means to make that attempt.

は marks 彼 as the topic of the sentence.

So 彼は means something like:

• as for him
• he

In natural English, we usually just say he, but in Japanese the topic marker is doing an important job: it tells you what the sentence is about.

So the sentence is framed as:

• As for him, ...

This does not necessarily put strong emphasis on he. It just sets him up as the topic.

Because 重い is directly modifying the noun 荷物.

With い-adjectives, the plain form goes directly before the noun:

• 重い荷物 = heavy luggage
• 大きい犬 = big dog
• 新しい本 = new book

The form 重く is the adverbial form, used when modifying a verb or connecting expressions, not a noun:

• 荷物が重くなる = the luggage becomes heavy
• 重く持ち上げる would not be natural for heavy luggage

So before a noun, use 重い, not 重く.

一人で means alone or by oneself.

• 一人 = one person / alone
• で here marks the state, manner, or condition in which the action is done

So 一人で運ぶ means:

• carry it alone
• carry it by oneself

This で is not the location marker here. It is closer to in the condition of or by means of.

Compare:

• バスで行く = go by bus
• 一人で行く = go alone

Without で, 一人 would just be one person, not clearly by oneself in this sentence.

Yes, in this sentence が means but.

The structure is:

• 運ぼうとしましたが、できませんでした。
• He tried to carry it, but he couldn’t.

When が connects two clauses like this, it often shows contrast:

• one thing happened or was attempted,
• but the following result was different.

This use of が is very common in both spoken and written Japanese. It can sound a little more formal or smooth than けど.

Compare:

• しましたが = did/tried, but...
• したけど = did/tried, but...

Both are possible in some contexts, but they are slightly different.

• 運べませんでした = could not carry it
• できませんでした = could not do it / was unable to

In this sentence, できませんでした refers back to the attempted action: carrying the heavy luggage alone.

So the meaning is basically:

• He tried to carry it alone, but he was unable to do so.

Using できませんでした makes the second clause a little more general. It is like saying the attempt failed.

By contrast, 運べませんでした would focus more directly on the verb carry itself.

So:

• 運ぼうとしましたが、できませんでした = He tried to carry it, but couldn’t manage it.
• 運ぼうとしましたが、運べませんでした = He tried to carry it, but couldn’t carry it.

The sentence you have is very natural.

を marks the direct object of the verb.

Here, the thing being carried is 荷物, so:

• 荷物を運ぶ = carry the luggage

That is why the sentence has:

• 重い荷物を = the heavy luggage

This is the normal object marker for an action done directly to something.

The sentence is using polite speech:

• しました = did / tried
• できませんでした = could not

This is the polite past style often used in textbooks, conversation with strangers, formal situations, and careful narration.

The plain-style version would be:

• 彼は重い荷物を一人で運ぼうとしたが、できなかった。

Same meaning, less polite.

So the sentence is not grammatically special here; it is just choosing a polite register.

Not exactly.

Japanese often omits subjects when they are already clear from context. So in real conversation, a sentence like this might appear without 彼は if everyone already knows who is being discussed.

For example:

• 重い荷物を一人で運ぼうとしましたが、できませんでした。

That could still be understood from context.

Also, 彼 can sound a little more explicit than English he, since English uses pronouns constantly, but Japanese often avoids them when unnecessary.

So 彼 is correct here, but in natural Japanese it would only be used when the speaker wants to identify or contrast him clearly.

Not completely. Japanese word order is more flexible than English, as long as the particles stay attached to the right words.

Your sentence is:

• 彼は 重い荷物を 一人で 運ぼうとしましたが、できませんでした。

You could also say:

• 彼は 一人で 重い荷物を 運ぼうとしましたが、できませんでした。

That still means essentially the same thing:

• He tried to carry the heavy luggage alone, but couldn’t.

The particles は, を, and で tell you the role of each part, so the order can move around somewhat. But some orders sound more natural than others depending on emphasis and rhythm.