彼が初めて日本にやってきたのは１０年前だった。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

It was ten years ago that he first came to Japan.

Furigana

彼(かれ)が初(はじ)めて日本(にっぽん)にやってきたのは１０年(ねん)前(まえ)だった。

Romanji

Kare ga hajimete Nippon ni yattekita no wa ichi zero nen mae datta.

Words

彼 (かれ)

he; him; his; boyfriend

が (が)

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

初めて (はじめて)

for the first time; only after ... is it ...; only when ... do you ...

日本 (にほん、にっぽん)

Japan

に (に)

at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although

やって来る (やってくる)

to come along; to come around; to turn up; to arrive at the present; to get where one is; to have been doing something (for a period of time)

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

は (は)

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

一 (いち)

one; best; first; foremost; beginning; start; bottom string (on a shamisen, etc.)

○ (まる)

circle (sometimes used for zero); 'correct' (when marking); symbol used as a placeholder (either because a number of other words could be used in that position, or because of censorship); period; full stop; maru mark; semivoiced sound; p-sound

年 (とし)

year; many years; age; past one's prime; old age

前 (まえ)

ago; before (some event); previously; (minutes) to (the hour); in front (of); before (e.g. the house); head (of a line); front (e.g. of a bus); fore part; in the presence of; helping; portion; privates; private parts

だ (だ)

be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative