The Best Length of Sentences for Your Japanese Script

Introduction

Those who are reading this article probably know ", "; Punctuation Mark. Have you thought about how many times you can use ", " in a sentence before? At least, I have. Even native speakers are sometime wondering about this point. Thus, I will show you the best length of sentences, especially for your Japanese script and how to use it with a real example.

The Best Length of Sentences for Your Japanese Script

Let me get straight to the answer: the best length of sentences for your Japanese script is approximately 40 letters. For the sake of easy understanding, I have written both of examples, good and bad as below. It is sometimes shortened or lengthened depending on the context. However, you can consider that 40 letters are the basic.

Bad Example: 20, 15, 11, 13, plus 17 letters are too short respectively.

親おやに似にたあまり物事ものごとを深ふかく考かんがえない性格せいかくだ。子こ供どもの時ときから損そんばかりしている。あれは小しょう学校がっこうのときだ。学校がっこうの二に階かいから飛とび降おりた。一いっ週間しゅうかんほど腰こしを抜ぬぬかした事ことがある。

Bad Example: 73 letters are too long

親おやに似にたあまり物事ものごとを深ふかく考かんがえない性格せいかくで、子こ供どもの時ときから損そんばかりしていて、小しょう学校がっこうのときに、学校がっこうの二に階かいから飛とび降おりて、一いっ週間しゅうかんほど腰こしを抜ぬぬかした事ことがある。

Good Example: 35 plus 38 letters are appropriate.

親おやに似にたあまり物事ものごとを深ふかく考かんがえない性格せいかくで、子こ供どもの時ときから損そんばかりしている、小しょう学校がっこうのときに、学校がっこうの二に階かいから飛とび降おりて、一いっ週間しゅうかんほど腰こしを抜ぬぬかした事ことがある。

Translation

“Because of a hereditary recklessness, I have always been playing a losing game since my childhood.” And “During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.”

How to adjust Japanese sentence lengths

This is simple. When you would like to shorten your sentences, try to use conjunction instead of conjunctive particle. When lengthening your sentences, try to do the opposite.

Short version: 今朝けさは雨あめだった。なので、私わたしは傘かさを持もってきた。

It was rain this morning. So I brought my umbrella.

Long version: 今朝けさは雨あめだったので、私わたしは傘かさを持もってきた。

It was rain this morning and so I brought my umbrella.

In comparison with the sentences above, the later one sounds more natural. From the view of native speakers, if short sentences continue in a row, it may look like childlike in a sense. Please noted, this is in the case of “continue in a row”. There is a technique to make your sentence liveliness by putting some short sentences.

ある日ひのことです。突然とつぜんマグニチュード８の地じ震しんが日に本ほんを襲おそいました。

Compared to

ある日、ひ突然とつぜんマグニチュード８の地じ震しんが日に本ほんを襲おそいました。

Both of the sentences mean “One day, the earthquake of magnitude of 8 suddenly hit Japan.” However, the former one sounds more narrative.

Conclusion

1. The length of sentences for your Japanese script should be within 40 letters.
2. If sentences would be longer than that, please separate them by conjunctions.
3. Don’t continue short sentences in a row.

The above are the basic idea when writing your Japanese script. Of course, I know in practice native speakers sometimes don’t follow the typical ideas. Yet, I still think that Japanese learners should follow the basics at first to get a feel of the language. Once you have accumulated enough experience with native expressions, you can go to your on way.

Introduction