Grammar: first steps › Lesson 1
How a Japanese sentence is ordered
In Japanese, the verb comes at the end of the sentence. Start by getting used to this order.
Key points
The verb goes last
"Watashi wa hon o yomimasu" is built as: I (wa) / book (o) / read. In English the verb sits in the middle ("I read a book"); in Japanese it comes last.
Particles mark each word's role
Short words such as は and を are called particles. They follow a word and show its role. は marks the topic of the sentence, and を marks the thing the action is done to.
Examples
- わたしは本を読みます。Watashi wa hon o yomimasu.I read a book.
- 友だちはパンを食べます。Tomodachi wa pan o tabemasu.My friend eats bread.
- 先生は日本語を教えます。Sensei wa nihongo o oshiemasu.The teacher teaches Japanese.
- わたしは水を飲みます。Watashi wa mizu o nomimasu.I drink water.
When speaking, Japanese often drops words that are already clear. "Hon o yomimasu" on its own is perfectly natural.
Check yourself
1. Which word comes last in this sentence? "Watashi wa pan o tabemasu."
2. What does を show in "hon o yomimasu"?
3. Which Japanese sentence matches "I drink water."?
This lesson was checked on 2026.11.08. Translations are a learning guide.