Breakdown of konya tomodati to tuuwasimasu.
Questions & Answers about konya tomodati to tuuwasimasu.
Why is there no word for I in this sentence?
Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is obvious from context.
So 今夜 友達 と 通話します can naturally mean:
- I will call a friend tonight
- I’m having a voice call with a friend tonight
Even though I is not said, it is understood from the situation.
If you wanted to make it explicit, you could say:
- 私は今夜友達と通話します。
But in normal conversation, that often sounds unnecessary unless you are contrasting yourself with someone else.
Why is there no particle after 今夜?
Many time expressions in Japanese can be used without a particle.
So 今夜 works fine by itself in a sentence:
- 今夜友達と通話します。 = Tonight, I’ll call a friend.
This is similar to other common time words such as:
- 今日 = today
- 明日 = tomorrow
- 昨日 = yesterday
You can sometimes add は for emphasis or contrast:
- 今夜は友達と通話します。 = As for tonight, I’m calling a friend.
But you usually would not use に with 今夜 here.
What does と mean here?
Here, と marks the person you do the action with.
So:
- 友達と通話します = talk on the phone with a friend
This is a very common use of と.
Compare:
- 友達と話します = talk with a friend
- 友達と行きます = go with a friend
- 友達と勉強します = study with a friend
In this sentence, と does not mean and. It means with.
Why is 友達 not followed by another particle like を?
Because 友達 is not the direct object here. It is the person you are doing the call with, so it takes と.
Think of the phrase as one unit:
- 友達と = with a friend
If the sentence used a verb that took a direct object, then you might see を. But 通話する is normally used with the person marked by と.
What exactly does 通話します mean?
通話します comes from:
- 通話 = a phone call / voice communication
- する = to do
So 通話する literally means to do a call, but in natural English it means something like:
- to talk on the phone
- to have a voice call
- to call someone
It sounds a bit more formal or technical than very casual everyday speech.
For example:
- 友達と通話します = fairly neutral/formal
- 友達と電話します = more everyday-sounding in many situations
Is 通話します a normal everyday way to say this?
It is understandable and correct, but it can sound a little more formal or specific than what learners may hear most often in casual conversation.
Native speakers might also say:
- 友達と電話します。
- 友達に電話します。
- 友達と電話で話します。
The nuance changes a little:
- 友達と通話します = have a call / be on a voice call
- 友達に電話します = call a friend
- 友達と電話します = talk by phone with a friend
So 通話します is fine, but it is not always the most casual everyday choice.
How is 今夜 pronounced?
今夜 is pronounced こんや.
So the whole sentence is read:
- こんや ともだち と つうわします
In normal writing without beginner spacing:
- 今夜友達と通話します。
Does 友達 mean one friend or more than one friend?
By itself, 友達 can mean friend or friends, depending on context.
So this sentence could mean:
- I’ll call a friend tonight
- I’ll call my friends tonight
- I’ll be on a call with friends tonight
If you want to make the plural clearer, you could say:
- 友達たちと通話します。 = I’ll call my friends / be on a call with friends
But Japanese often leaves number unspecified unless it matters.
Why is the verb at the end?
Japanese normally puts the verb at the end of the sentence.
So the structure here is:
- 今夜 = tonight
- 友達と = with a friend
- 通話します = will have a call / call
This is a standard Japanese sentence pattern.
A rough word-for-word order is:
- Tonight / with a friend / will call
That may feel backward to an English speaker, but it is completely normal in Japanese.
Can I add は to this sentence?
What is the polite level of 通話します?
通話します is in the polite non-past form.
That means it can mean:
- I call
- I will call
- I am going to call
depending on context.
Here, because 今夜 refers to the future, the sentence is understood as future:
- I’ll call a friend tonight
The plain form would be:
- 通話する
So:
- 今夜友達と通話する。 = plain/casual
- 今夜友達と通話します。 = polite
Could this sentence mean a voice call app call, not just a regular phone call?
Yes. 通話 is broad enough to refer to voice communication, including things like:
- a regular phone call
- an app call
- an online voice call
That is one reason 通話 can sound a little more technical or general than 電話, which strongly suggests a telephone call.
So if the intended meaning is something like I’m going to voice chat with a friend tonight, 通話します can fit well.
Why are there spaces between the words here?
The spaces are usually just for learners.
Normal Japanese writing would be:
- 今夜友達と通話します。
Japanese is normally written without spaces between words. Educational materials often add spaces to help beginners see the parts more clearly.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning JapaneseMaster Japanese — from konya tomodati to tuuwasimasu to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions