ホーキングは、その本の執筆を始めたとき、手で書くことがまったくできなかった。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

When he started the book, Hawking was unable to write by hand at all.

Furigana

ホーキングは、その本(ほん)の執筆(しっぴつ)を始(はじ)めたとき、手(て)で書(か)くことがまったくできなかった。

Romanji

Ho-Kingu wa, sono hon no shippitsu o hajimeta toki, te de kaku koto ga mattaku dekinakatta.

Words

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

其の (その)

that (something or someone distant from the speaker, close to the listener; actions of the listener, or ideas expressed or understood by the listener); the; um...; er...; uh...

本 (ほん)

book; volume; script; this; present; main; head; real; regular; counter for long cylindrical things; counter for films, TV shows, etc.; counter for goals, home runs, etc.; counter for telephone calls

の (の)

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

執筆 (しっぴつ)

writing (e.g. as a profession)

を (を)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

始める (はじめる)

to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate; to originate; to open (e.g. a store); to start up; to establish (business. etc.); to start ...; to begin to ...

とき (とき)

regular (stops at every station) Jouetsu-line Shinkansen

手 (て)

hand; arm; forepaw; foreleg; handle; hand; worker; help; trouble; care; effort; means; way; trick; move; technique; workmanship; hand; handwriting; kind; type; sort; one's hands; one's possession; ability to cope; hand (of cards); direction; move (in go, shogi, etc.)

で (で、にて)

indicates location of action; at; in; indicates time of action; indicates means of action; cause of effect; by; and then; so; indicates continuing action; indicates certainty, emphasis, etc.

書く (かく)

to write; to compose; to pen; to draw; to paint

事 (こと、こん)

thing; matter; incident; occurrence; event; something serious; trouble; crisis; circumstances; situation; state of affairs; work; business; affair; after an inflectable word, creates a noun phrase indicating something the speaker does not feel close to; nominalizing suffix; pretending to ...; playing make-believe ...; alias; aka; nickname; alternative name; also known as

が (が)

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

全く (まったく)

really; truly; entirely; completely; wholly; perfectly; indeed; good grief (expression of exasperation)

出来る (できる)

to be able (in a position) to do; to be up to the task; to be ready; to be completed; to be made; to be built; to be good at; to be permitted (to do); to become intimate; to take up (with somebody); to grow; to be raised; to become pregnant