Minna No Nihongo Lesson 22 Grammar
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Noun modification
You learned how to modify nouns in Lesson 2 and Lesson 8.
ミラーさんのうち Mr. Miller’s house (Lesson 2)
新しいうち a new house (Lesson 8)
きれいなうち a beautiful house (Lesson 8)
In Japanese, whatever modifies a word, whether it’s a word or a sentence, it always comes before the word to be modified. Here you learn another way to modify nouns.
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Noun modification by sentences
1) The predicate of the sentence which modifies a noun is in the plain form. In the case of な-adjective sentences, ~だ becomes ~な. In the case of noun sentences ~だ becomes ~の.
京都へ | 行く人
行かない人 行った人 行かなかった人 |
a person
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who goes
who does not go who went who did not go
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to Kyoto |
背が高くて、髪が黒い人
親切で、きれいな人 65 歳の人 |
a person who is tall and has black hair
a person who is kind and pretty a person who is 65 years old. |
2) Nouns, which are various elements of the sentence, are picked out of it and can be modified by it.
わたしは先週映画を見ました → わたしが先週見た映画
I saw a movie last week → the movie that I saw last week
ワンさんは病院で働いています → ワンさんが働いている病院
Mr. Wang works at a hospital → the hospital where Mr. Wang works
わたしはあした友達に会います → わたしがあした会う友達
I will meet a friend tomorrow → the friend whom I will meet tomorrow
When the nouns in three sentences above are modified, the particle を, でandに attached to them respectively are unnecessary.
3) The noun modified by a sentence (“the house where Mr. Miller lived” in the example sentences below) can be used in various parts of a sentence.
これはミラーさんが住んでいたうちです。
This is the house where Mr. Miller lived.
ミラーさんが住んでいたうちは古いです。
The house where Mr. Miller lived is old.
ミラーさんが住んでいたうちを買いました。
I bought the house where Mr. Miller lived.
わたしはミラーさんが住んでいたうちが好きです。
I like the house where Mr. Miller lived.
ミラーさんが住んでいたうちに猫がいました。
There was a cat in the house where Mr. Miller lived.
ミラーさんが住んでいたうちへ行ったことがあります。
I have been to the house where Mr. Miller lived.
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N が
When a sentence modifies a noun, the subject in the sentence is indicated by が.
ミラーさんはケーキを作りました → これはミラーさんが作ったケーキです。
Mr. Miller baked a cake. → This is the cake which Mr. Miller baked.
わたしはカリナさんがかいた絵が好きです。
I like the picture that Ms. Karina drew.
[あなたは]彼が生まれた所を知っていますか。Do you know the place where he was born?
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V dictionary form 時間/約束/用事
When expressing the time for doing some activity, put the dictionary form of the action before じかん.
わたしは朝ごはんを食べる時間がありません。
I have no time to eat breakfast.
You can also say the content of the arrangement (appointment), etc., by putting the dictionary form of that action before やくそく, etc.
わたしは友達と映画を見る約束があります。
I have an arrangement to see a movie with a friend of mine.
きょうは市役所へ行く用事があります。
I have something to do at the city hall today.
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