Hello everyone.
I have just read that Japanese is a SOV language so sentences tend to run in order of the subject, the object and then the verb.
In wanikani I then came across the sentence (written mostly in kanji) ‘I do cherry blossom viewing every year in April.’
I can’t type in kanji to show the sentence but breaking it down into hiragana my best guess is that it would read as follows,
まいとししがつにはなみをします。Sorry if that’s not right.
I can see the object and see that the verb is at the end of the sentence but shouldn’t this start with watashi and the relevant partial? (Still confused about which partical to use when!) I have read though that often the subject is presumed in Japanese sentences so maybe this is the case here. Is this correct?
Thank you in anticipation for any wise words.
Correct. Many parts of Japanese sentences can be omitted, including the subject. It is implied in this case. It can be confusing at times, because the subject will have to be taken from the context. But if you read or hear enough Japanese, you will get the hang of it!
ありがとうございます。
Appreciate your reply and knowledge. I am loving learning Japanese even though there seems to be so much to learn!
Thanks again.
The other thing to note here is that it’s only “tends to”. In a Japanese sentence it’s the particles that tell you what role each word is playing in the sentence, so although there’s a “default” order things tend to go in, it’s also possible to move things around for emphasis or other effect.
Thank you. Hopefully particals will click in my brain with more study. I’ve only just come across the possession no partical and just looked into wa and ga! It seems much easier to read than to actually construct sentences yourself as I keep getting the sentence order wrong. More study!