JA→EN: particles with no direct English word

A common beginner trap in Japanese→English song translation is trying to map every particle to a single English word. This is especially true for Japanese particles in song lyrics. Often, particles encode structure that English handles with word order or prepositions.

A “compass” approach

• を: marks the object (what the action hits). Example: 夢を見る = “dream a dream.”
• に: direction/target/time (where/when the action points). Example: 君に会う = “meet you.”
• は/が: topic vs focus (what the line frames vs emphasizes). Example: 私は… / 雨が…

Common mix‑ups

• は vs が: は frames the topic; が highlights the subject doing the action.
• に vs で: に points to a target/time; で marks the place of action.

If alignment doesn’t show a neat English token, that’s not failure—it’s a clue the particle is doing grammar work.

Try one chorus in 10alect and track particles only. The alignment will show which English words they support. For a full routine, use the 20‑minute method.