When do you mark きょう or other similar relative time expressions with は


I've been trying to make proper sentences using the word きょう when I realized
that I'm not really actually sure when I'm suppose to mark it with は. I know
relative time expressions tend to stand alone meaning it's not followed by に
and because of this its not uncommon for it to be followed directly by another
word with no particle in between. This is where I start to get confused
however when I see a sentence like this one

> 明日{あした}きます

and then a sentence like this

> 今日{きょう}は 京都{きょうと}に いきます

I'm pretty sure the reason I'm having a hard time understanding this is due to
my terrible understanding of は, regardless any help on when I should mark a
time like this with は and when it would be better left unmarked would be
appreciated.




> 1) 今日 **は** 、京都に行きます。  
>  2) 今日、京都に行きます。/ 京都に **は** 、今日行きます。

I would use #1, with a stress on 京都, as a reply to "Where will you go today?"
or "What will you do today?", and #2, with a stress on 今日, as a reply to "When
will you go to Kyoto?" Here, the は is the topic particle. 今日は in #1 and 京都には
in #2 are old information (既知情報), and 京都に(行きます) in #1 and 今日 or 今日行きます in #2
are new information (新情報).

You would use #1 in a conversation like this:

> (on the phone)  
>  A: もしもし。今日、暇？今から遊びに来ない？  
>  B: あ、ごめん、今日 **は** 京都に行くから無理。(not just 今日)

* * *

The は can also be the contrastive particle. For example:

> 1') 昨日は大阪に行きました。(でも、)今日 **は** 京都に行きます。  
>  I went to Osaka yesterday. (But) today, I will go to Kyoto.  
>  1") 今日 **は** 、京都に行きます。 (with a stress on 今日は)  
>  Today, I am going to Kyoto (but on another day I didn't / won't go there).

* * *

When I just tell someone that I am going to Kyoto on that day (i.e. when 今日
and 京都 are both new information), I would use:

> 2') 今日、京都に行きます。(without a stress on 今日)

for example, in a context like this:

> (on the phone)  
>  母: もしもし。  
>  娘: あ、お母はん？あのさ、 **今日** 、京都行くねんけど、なんか伊勢丹で[買]{こ}うてきてほしいもんとかある？ (not 今日は.)




> 1) 今日 **は** 、京都に行きます。  
>  2) 今日、京都に行きます。/ 京都に **は** 、今日行きます。

I would use #1, with a stress on 京都, as a reply to "Where will you go today?"
or "What will you do today?", and #2, with a stress on 今日, as a reply to "When
will you go to Kyoto?" Here, the は is the topic particle. 今日は in #1 and 京都には
in #2 are old information (既知情報), and 京都に(行きます) in #1 and 今日 or 今日行きます in #2
are new information (新情報).

You would use #1 in a conversation like this:

> (on the phone)  
>  A: もしもし。今日、暇？今から遊びに来ない？  
>  B: あ、ごめん、今日 **は** 京都に行くから無理。(not just 今日)

* * *

The は can also be the contrastive particle. For example:

> 1') 昨日は大阪に行きました。(でも、)今日 **は** 京都に行きます。  
>  I went to Osaka yesterday. (But) today, I will go to Kyoto.  
>  1") 今日 **は** 、京都に行きます。 (with a stress on 今日は)  
>  Today, I am going to Kyoto (but on another day I didn't / won't go there).

* * *

When I just tell someone that I am going to Kyoto on that day (i.e. when 今日
and 京都 are both new information), I would use:

> 2') 今日、京都に行きます。(without a stress on 今日)

for example, in a context like this:

> (on the phone)  
>  母: もしもし。  
>  娘: あ、お母はん？あのさ、 **今日** 、京都行くねんけど、なんか伊勢丹で[買]{こ}うてきてほしいもんとかある？ (not 今日は.)

