English Translation
My parents are old.
Full Sentence Analysis Of My Custom-Made Card
私の両親は年老いています (Watashi no ryōshin wa toshioite imasu)
“My parents are elderly/aging.”
Step-by-Step Component Breakdown:
私 (watashi):
This is the first-person pronoun meaning “I” or “me.” In this sentence, it serves as the possessor of the following noun. It’s important to note that in Japanese, pronouns are often omitted when the context makes them clear, but here it’s explicitly stated to show whose parents we’re talking about.
の (no):
This is the possessive particle that connects 私 and 両親, creating the possessive relationship “my parents.” The の particle functions similarly to the English apostrophe-s ('s) or the word “of.” This particle is essential for showing relationships between nouns.
両親 (ryōshin):
This is a compound noun meaning “parents,” literally “both parents.” It’s composed of 両 (ryō, meaning “both”) and 親 (oya/shin, meaning “parent”). This noun serves as the topic of the sentence - the entity we’re making a statement about.
は (wa):
This is the topic marker particle. It identifies 私の両親 (my parents) as what the sentence is about. The は particle sets up the framework for what follows, essentially saying “Regarding my parents…” and then the rest of the sentence provides information about them.
年老い (toshioi):
This is a compound verb stem meaning “to age” or “to grow old.” It’s composed of 年 (toshi, meaning “year/age”) and 老い (oi, meaning “aging/elderly”). This verb form serves as the base for the continuing state that follows.
て (te):
This is a conjunctive particle that connects the verb stem to the auxiliary verb that follows. The て form is crucial in Japanese grammar as it allows verbs to be combined with auxiliary verbs to express various aspects, such as continuous states.
います (imasu):
This is an auxiliary verb indicating a continuing state or action. It’s the polite present form of いる (iru), which expresses ongoing existence or state for animate subjects. When combined with the て form of action verbs, it creates the progressive or resultative aspect.
Grammatical Structure Analysis:
The sentence follows a common Japanese pattern for describing states:
[Topic] は [Verb Stem] ている
This structure indicates an ongoing state or condition. In this case, it’s describing the continuing state of the parents being elderly or aging.
Deeper Linguistic Insights:
Aspect vs. Tense:
The ています (te imasu) construction focuses more on aspect (the way an action or state unfolds over time) rather than simply tense. It shows that aging is an ongoing process or result, not just something happening at this moment.
Stative vs. Action Verbs:
The verb 年老いる (toshioiru) is interesting because it’s describing both an action (aging) and a resultant state (being elderly). The ています form emphasizes the current state that results from the ongoing process.
Polite Form:
The sentence ends with います rather than the plain form いる, indicating politeness. This is typical in formal writing or when speaking respectfully, especially about parents.
Topic-Comment Structure:
This sentence demonstrates the topic-comment structure fundamental to Japanese. The topic 私の両親は sets up what we’re talking about, and the comment 年老いています provides the information about that topic.
Alternative Expressions:
To deepen your understanding, consider these variations:
私の両親は高齢です。
(Watashi no ryōshin wa kōrei desu.)
“My parents are elderly.” (Using an adjective instead of a verb)
私の両親は歳をとっています。
(Watashi no ryōshin wa toshi o totte imasu.)
“My parents are getting older.” (Using the expression “取る年” - to take on years)
This sentence beautifully demonstrates how Japanese uses particles to establish relationships between words, the topic-comment structure, and the verb-final syntax with auxiliary verbs to express aspects of actions and states.