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省略(しょうりゃく)しょうりゃく

Leaving words out: the invisible “I” and “you”

Japanese drops whatever context already makes clear — and that's normal.
要点The idea
Japanese leaves out whatever the listener can work out from context, especially I and you.
昨日(きのう)きのう 映画(えいが)えいが を 見(み)みました。kinou eiga o mimashita.(I) watched a movie yesterday.A statement: the unsaid subject is “I”.
明日(あした)あした 来(き)きます か？ashita kimasu ka?Are (you) coming tomorrow?A question: the unsaid subject is “you”.
おいしい です ね。oishii desu ne.(This) is delicious, isn't it?Whatever you're both eating: no need to name it.
A私(わたし)わたし は 昨日(きのう)きのう 映画(えいが)えいが を 見(み)みました。watashi wa kinou eiga o mimashita.I watched a movie yesterday.Correct, but heavy in conversation.
B昨日(きのう)きのう 映画(えいが)えいが を 見(み)みました。kinou eiga o mimashita.(I) watched a movie yesterday.Natural: the unsaid subject (Cure Dolly's “zero が”) is clearly “I”.
Repeating 私(わたし)わたしは in every sentence sounds like a textbook, or like you're stressing I as opposed to someone else.
  1. A
    昨日(きのう)きのう 何(なに)なに を しました か？kinou nani o shimashita ka?What did you do yesterday?
  2. B
    映画(えいが)えいが を 見(み)みました。eiga o mimashita.(I) watched a movie.
  3. A
    面白(おもしろ)おもしろかった です か？omoshirokatta desu ka?Was (it) interesting?
  4. B
    はい、 とても。hai, totemo.Yes, very.
No “I”, “you” or “it” anywhere: context fills in every subject.

確認Check yourself

Why Japanese avoids あなた