Ch 1 · Lesson 10Japanese · Chapter 1 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
Particles: を, に, で and の
The little words after a noun that say what it is doing in the sentence. Japanese word order is loose because these carry the meaning.
The short version
The particle tells you the job, not the position
うち 。
Why?Hide
In English, word order says who did what to whom. In Japanese the particle after each noun says it: marks the thing acted on, the place you go to, the place something happens. That is why Japanese word order can move around without the meaning changing.
ほてる 。ほてる 。
Why?Hide
Both translate as at or in, which is why they get mixed up. marks a destination or where something exists; marks where an action takes place. Ask what the verb is doing: going or being points to , doing points to .
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Lesson 10 of 29 in this chapter