Learn Hardcore Japanese: haha ha toosuto ni bataa de ha naku mayoneezu wo nutte tabemasu. - My mother eats toast spread with mayonnaise instead of butter.

Word

母はは　は　トースト　に　バター　で　は　なく　マヨネーズ　を　ぬって　食たべます。haha wa toosuto ni bataa de wa naku mayoneezu o nutte tabemasu.

Meaning

My mother eats toast spread with mayonnaise instead of butter.

Part of speech

sentence

Pronunciation

Course

Hardcore Japanese

Lesson

Lesson 63

Breakdown of haha wa toosuto ni bataa de wa naku mayoneezu o nutte tabemasu.

はwa

topic particle

をo

direct object particle

Questions & Answers about haha wa toosuto ni bataa de wa naku mayoneezu o nutte tabemasu.

Why is 母 followed by は instead of が?

は marks 母 as the topic: As for my mother, ...

So 母は sounds like the speaker is introducing what their mother does. This is very natural in a general statement.

If you used が instead, it would put more focus on mother as the one who does the action, often with a nuance like my mother is the one who... That is not impossible, but は is the more natural choice here.

Why does トースト take に?

With the verb ぬる (to spread / apply), the thing you put something onto is often marked with に.

So:

トーストに = onto the toast
マヨネーズを = the mayonnaise as the thing being spread

This is a very common pattern:

パンにジャムをぬる = spread jam on bread
壁にペンキをぬる = apply paint to a wall

So here, に does not mean a destination like to school. It marks the surface or target of the spreading.

Why is it バターではなく? What does that mean exactly?