Grammatical Comparison Of English And Japanese
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/eijps-05-09-12Keywords:
English grammar, Japanese grammar, contrastive linguisticsAbstract
This article explores the grammatical similarities and differences between English, an Indo-European language, and Japanese, a member of the Japonic family. Despite serving as major global languages, their structural systems diverge in fundamental ways. English relies heavily on fixed word order, articles, and inflectional morphology, whereas Japanese grammar is characterized by flexible word order supported by particles, a relatively simple tense system, and extensive use of honorifics. The comparison highlights key areas such as syntax (SVO vs. SOV), tense and aspect, plurality, negation, and question formation, while also noting points of convergence such as the use of auxiliary verbs and subject–predicate structure. By examining these parallels and contrasts, the article provides insights into the linguistic distance between the two languages and underscores the challenges and opportunities they present for learners, translators, and cross-cultural communication.
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