Particles label each word, so the order can move
Why you can shuffle the pieces before the verb — and the usual default order.要点The idea
Particles label each word's job, so the pieces before the verb can be reordered without changing who did what.昨日きのう 友達ともだち と 公園こうえん で 遊あそんだ。kinou tomodachi to kouen de asonda.Yesterday I hung out with a friend in the park.
昨日きのう 公園こうえん で 友達ともだち と 遊あそんだ。kinou kouen de tomodachi to asonda.Yesterday I hung out in the park with a friend.と still marks who with, で still marks where, so swapping them keeps the facts the same.
友達ともだち と 昨日きのう 公園こうえん で 遊あそんだ。tomodachi to kinou kouen de asonda.I hung out with a friend in the park yesterday.Time, partner and place can shuffle. The verb stays last.
A田中たなかさん が 花はな を 買かった。tanaka-san ga hana o katta.Tanaka bought flowers.
B花はな を 田中たなかさん が 買かった。hana o tanaka-san ga katta.It was Tanaka who bought the flowers.The flowers are now the known thing, and the focus falls on 田中たなかさん, right before the verb, like an answer to “who bought the flowers?”
- Aこの 写真しゃしん、 誰だれ が 撮とった の？kono shashin, dare ga totta no?Who took this photo?
- B姉あね が 撮とった よ。ane ga totta yo.My big sister took it.
- Aえ、 すごい！ 上手じょうず だ ね。e, sugoi! jouzu da ne.Wow! She's good.