Any language has a grammar—a set of rules that helps us form meaningful sentences. Java is no different. By understanding its grammar, we can read and write programs with clarity and confidence.

Let’s look at a simple example in English:

I am going to town.

Now, let’s see how this would look word-by-word in another language—say Tamil:

As you can see, a word-by-word translation doesn’t always convey the actual meaning unless we understand the structure and relationships.

Let’s apply the same idea to Java. When you see code, try reading it like a sentence. Here’s a simple formula to help:

public class Person implements Animal {
    private String name;
}

Read it as:

Person is a kind of Animal who has a name.

public class Teacher extends Person {
}

Teacher is a Person.

List<Person> people;

people is a List of Person.

By using this pattern, you can train yourself to read any Java program like reading a newspaper.

By the end of this chapter, you’ll be able to understand any Java class or method just by reading—just like reading a sentence in your native language.

Let’s begin!