I am a native Japanese speaker who used to teach Japanese in a university somewhere on this planet. Currently I don't work but stayed in my house in Northern part of JAPAN. I hope that you could enjoy reading my posts and know what life in Japan is like.
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Listen to my music playing: J. S. Bach, Unaccompanied Cello Suite No.3, Prelude on Electric Bass (4.22MB)
Since I am not a company employee, I don’t have a company health insurance. My health insurance is the national health insurance. Under that health insurance, I can get some health checks once a year. Last week I got X-ray chest test in the community center. And this morning, I went to a local clinic this morning and got urine and blood tests. I need to go to the clinic again in ten days, to hear the results. I hope there will be no bad result that needs a detailed inspection.
<Sorry, I can’t write this post because I am a little tired.>
This post was written with reference to the exercise A6 on Section22 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
We have been learning how to apply a “verb clause to modify a noun” to several types of sentences. Today’s sentence type is “Wa-ga construction” with adjective predicates. Though the same caution repeats every time when “Wa-ga construction” appears, a wa-ga construction and a transitive verb predicate sentence should not be confused.
– Wa-ga construction; [Topic] wa [Subject] ga [Predicate].
Example1; Ke’eki wa Kodomotachi ga Tabemashita. (When it comes to that cake, kids have eaten it.)
– Transitive verb predicate sentence; [Subject] wa/ga [Object] o [Transitive verb].
Example2; Kodomotachi wa Ke’eki o Tabemashita. (Kids ate the cake.)
More simply, the particle “ga” is for a subject, the particle “o” is for an Object. This is very the basic of Japanese language.
Actually, the Example1 is a minor type of wa-ga construction. For sake of simplicity, think there are two types of wa-ga constructions;
(1) Double subject and stative predicate
(2) The object turned to be the topic (-wa) and the predicate is a transitive verb.
Learning wa-ga construction of type (2) would end up confusion about the difference between wa-ga construction and transitive verb predicate sentence (hence confusion about the difference between particles “ga” and “o”). So, let us concentrate on the wa-ga construction of type (1). Type (1) has a stative predicate. At A5 in section22 (today), the predicates are I-adjective and Na-adjective, and at A6 (tomorrow), the predicate is the intransitive verb to describe existence, “Aru/Arimasu”.
Anyway, the purpose of this post is not to explain about wa-ga construction, but to show how “verb clause to modify a noun” can fit in the “-ga” word of a wa-ga construction.
Some of I-adjectives and Na-adjectives tend to be predicates of wa-ga construction. Let us pick up “Sukina” as example of Na-adjective, and “Hoshii” as example of I-adjective.
1. Watashi wa Hito ga Suki desu. (I like a human kind.)
Perhaps there is a person who likes any people. But it must be rare. Feeling information that the sentence1 gave you is not enough, you would like to ask what kind of human kind this person like. To say “what kind of human kind”, some modification needs to be placed in front of “Hito (a human kind)”. If the modification is a verb clause, it might be like below;
1’. Watashi wa Okane o Takusan Motte iru Hito ga Suki desu. (I like those who have a lot of money.)
In 1’, “Okane o Takusan Motte iru” is the verb clause modifying the noun “Hito”.
2. Watashi wa Reizouko ga Hoshii desu. (I want a refrigerator.)
There is no grammatical error in sentence 2. But if you said like this in a home appliances store, people there would ask you what kind of refrigerator you need. To say what kind of refrigerator you want, you put a modification in front of the noun “Reizouko (refrigerator)”. If the modification is a verb clause, the sentence 2 would change like below;
2’. Watashi wa Reitouko ga Aru Reizouko ga Hoshii desu. (I want a refrigerator that has the freezer.)
In 2’, “Reitouko ga Aru” is the verb clause modifying the noun “Reizouko”.
Usually, 1-door refrigerator doesn’t have the freezer. Opening the lid, you will see a small space that can make ice in the 1-door refrigerator. So, if you want a refrigerator with freezer , it must be a 2-door refrigerator.
Anyway, for the subject inside verb clause to modify a noun, not the particle “-wa” but “-ga” is used. This is already explained in A3 S22. This “-ga” as the subject marker inside clause to modify a noun is often converted to “no” like the following;
2’’. Watashi wa Reitouko no Aru Reizouko ga Hoshii desu. (I want a refrigerator that has the freezer.)
This phenomenon is called “Ga-No Conversion”.
This post was written with reference to the exercise A5 on Section22 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
We have already learned how to apply “Verb modified noun” to a Subject and a Predicate. Now we are going to learn how to apply it to an Object. In order to do it, let’s review the construction of transitive verb predicate sentences;
1. [Subject] wa [Object] o [Transitive Verb] masu.
Of course, sometimes “[Subject] ga” happens, but it’s not our focus now. When we apply “Verb modified noun” to an object, “1.” turns to be like follows;
2. [Subject] wa { [Verb Clause] + [Noun] } o [Transitive Verb] masu.
Look at the following transitive verb sentence;
3: Watashi wa Ko’ohi’i o Nomimasu. (I drink (a cup of) coffee.)
The sentence 3 is okay, but if you want to add some information to the word “Ko’ohi’i (coffee)”, a verb clause could be placed in front of the noun “Ko’ohi’i” as below;
4: Watashi wa Satou o Ireta Ko’ohi’i o Nomimasu. (I drink coffee in which someone poured sugar.)
5: Watashi wa Satou ga Haitte iru Ko’ohi’i o Nomimasu. (I drink coffee which sugar is in.)
Although English translations in parenthesis may seem strange, let us examine the sentences and their verb clauses of 4 and 5’’.
– Sentences’ predicates are “Nomimasu”, which is in present tense for both 4 and 5.
– Verb clauses modifying “Ko’ohi’i”
4; [Satou o Ireta] — “Ireta” is in past/perfect tense.
5; [Satou ga Haitte iru] — “Haitte iru” is in present tense.
You can see that tenses don’t agree between the predicate “Nomimasu” and the verb in noun modifying clause “Ireta” in the sentence 4. As for the sentence 5, tenses do agree between “Nomimasu” and “Haitte iru”, which are both in present tense. The conclusion is that tenses of the predicate and verb in the modifying clause do not always agree. Or even you need to decide the tenses of the two in accordance with reality.
(“Tense of” is omitted in the titles of following <1> through <4>.)
<1> Sentence Predicate is present/future, Verb clause is also present/future
Example: Watashi wa Korekara, Tomodachi ni Ageru Ke’eki o Kai ni Ikimasu.
(Now I am going to buy a sweet cake that I will give to my friend.)
<2> Sentence Predicate is present/future, but Verb clause is past/perfect
Example: Watashi wa Korekara, Tomodachi ni Moratta Ke’eki o Tabemasu.
(Now I am going to eat a sweet cake that my friend gave to me.)
<3> Sentence Predicate is past/perfect, but Verb clause is present/future
Example: Watashi wa Sakki, Tomodachi ni Ageru Ke’eki o Katte Kimashita.
(I just came back from buying a sweet cake that I would give to my friend.)
<4> Sentence Predicate is past/perfect, Verb clause is also past/perfect
Example: Watashi wa Sakki, Tomodachi ni Moratta Ke’eki o Tabemashita.
(I have just eaten a sweet cake that my friend had given to me.)
Things are different between action has been done or not yet done. Therefore, when using a verb, you always need to pay attention to tense. If you want to apply a “noun modifying verb clause”, it is necessary to decide the both tenses of predicate verb and verb in modifying clause taking consideration of sequence of these actions.
This post was written with reference to the exercise A4 on Section22 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
Yesterday we learned the sentence construction in which “verb modified noun” is used in the predicate of “Noun predicate sentence” as below;
[Subject] wa [Predicate] desu.
=> [Subject] wa { [Verb Clause] + [Noun] } desu.
Example: Kore wa Ichnen-sei ga Tsukau Kyoukasho desu. (This is a textbook that the first-grade students use.)
When a “Verb modified noun” is used in the predicate, the sentence must be a “noun predicate sentence (it may sound like a tautology, but)”. On the other, when a “Verb modified noun” is used in the subject, the predicate is not limited to be a noun. So, we are going to learn today the sentence construction whose subject is “verb modified noun”, while the predicate is either of noun, Na-adjective, I-adjective, and verb.
[Subject] wa [Predicate].
=> { [Verb Clause] + [Noun] } wa [Noun] desu.
=> { [Verb Clause] + [Noun] } wa [Na-adjective] desu.
=> { [Verb Clause] + [Noun] } wa [I-adjective] desu.
=> { [Verb Clause] + [Noun] } wa [Verb] masu.
<1> Predicate is Noun
Example: Haha ga yoku Iku Su’upa’a wa ABC Ma’ato desu.
(The supermarket that my mother goes often is ABC Mart.)
<2> Predicate is Na-adjective
Example: Watashitachi ga Toukyou de Itsumo Tomaru Hoteru wa Kirei desu.
(The hotel that we always stay at in Tokyo is clean.)
! “Kireina” is not an I-adjective but a Na-adjective.
<3> Predicate is I-adjective
Example: Satou-san ga Tsukatte iru No’oto Pasokon wa Karui desu.
(The personal computer that Sato-san is using is light.)
<4> Predicate is Verb
Example: Watashi ga Iku Tokoya wa Eki no Chikaku ni Arimasu.
(The barber I go to is near the train station.)
<IMPORTANT> the Subject marker is “ga” for a verb clause modifying a noun
Look at whether “ga” or “wa” is used for indicating the subject inside verb clause that is modifying a noun. The followings are the same as <1> through <4> above.
– { [Haha <ga> yoku Iku] + [Su’upa’a] } wa ABC Ma’ato desu.
– { [Watashitachi <ga> Toukyou de Itsumo Tomaru] + [Hoteru] } wa Kirei desu.
– { [Satou-san <ga> Tsukatte iru] + [No’oto Pasokon] } wa Karui desu.
– { [Watashi <ga> Iku] + [Tokoya] } wa Eki no Chikaku ni Arimasu.
You can see that “ga” is used for the subject inside verb clause that is modifying a noun.
When choosing “wa” or “ga” as the subject marker, the following criteria works;
– When to say condition or action about a known subject, “wa” is used.
– When the purpose of sentence is to say what the subject is, “ga” is used.
Then, why “ga” is used for the subject inside verb clause modifying a noun? The verb clause modifying a noun strongly specifies what kind of a noun that is. Therefore, the verb clause needs to clearly indicate who performs what action on the noun. Usually, the subject inside verb clause is not known to the listener, is what the speaker needs to specify. This is the reason why “ga” is used for the subject inside the verb clause that modifies a noun.
This post was written with reference to the exercise A3 on Section22 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
We have learned how to modify a noun with verb clause at exercise A1 in Section 22. But examples shown there were not sentence, but phrases. How can we use those phrases in a sentence? To begin with, let us think about where a noun is used in sentences.
– Noun predicate sentence: [Subject] wa [Predicate] desu.
=> [Predicate] is a noun => Exercise A2 : [Predicate] = verb-modified-noun
=> [Subject] is a noun => Exercise A3 : [Subject] = verb-modified-noun
– Transitive verb sentence: [Subject] wa [Object] o [Transitive Verb] masu.
=> [Object] is a noun => Exercise A4 : [Object] = verb-modified-noun
– Wa-ga construction : [Topic] wa [Subject] ga [Predicate]
=> [Subject] is a noun => Exercise A5 and A6 : [Subject] = verb-modified-noun
— Predicates are adjectives in A5, and intransitive verb for existence “Aru/Arimasu” in A6.
Today we are going to learn A2 which uses “verb-modified-noun” for a predicate in noun predicate sentence.
1. [Subject] wa {[Verb clause] + [Noun]} desu.
And a quick review of “verb clause” to modify a noun is that the ending of the verb clause needs to be “concise ending”.
Take a look at the following noun predicate sentence.
2. Kore wa Kyoukasho desu. (This is a textbook.)
The sentence 2 is a correct one. But you may feel this sentence doesn’t have good information. Then let’s apply a verb modification to the predicate “Kyoukasho”.
2’. Kore wa Ichnen-sei ga Tsukau Kyoukasho desu. (This is a textbook that the first-grade students use.)
3. Satou-san wa Hito desu. (Sato-san is a person.)
This is apparently a sentence whose information is not enough.
3’. Satou-san wa Uwagi o Kite iru Hito desu. (Sato-san is the one who is wearing a Jacket.)
4. Koko wa Basho desu. (This is a place.)
This, too, lacks information. Let’s put a modification with a verb in front of the noun “Basho”.
4’. Koko wa Takushii ni Noru Basho desu. (Here is the place we get on a taxi.)
This post was written with reference to the exercise A2 on Section22 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
Strong wind has continued blowing all day today. The wind caused some damage on my vegetables in the field. Because of bad weather, I was just staying inside, but I didn’t have time to write about Japanese Learning tonight. It should have been a sentence construction whose predicate is “a noun modified with verb clause”. I hope I can make it tomorrow.
The photo was taken just five years ago. The end of demolished railway was bullied in weeds.
At first, let us review ways to modify a noun. Putting aside adverbs and adverbials to modify a verb, we are just focusing on modification for a noun. The basic thing is that a modifying word is placed in front of a modified word as below;
[Modifying Word] + [Modified Word]
1. I-adjective modifies a noun
– [ Stem of I-adj ] + I + [ Noun ]
example: Aoi Sora (bule sky), Sabishii Kimochi (sad feeling)
2. Na-adjective modifies a noun
– [ Stem of Na-adj ] + na + [ Noun ]
example: Kireina Hana (beautiful flower), Shizukana Toshokan (quiet library)
3. Noun modifies another Noun
– [ Noun1 ] + no + [Noun2]
example: Nihon no Kuruma (Japanese cars), Watashi no Neko (my cat)
Then, is there a way to modify a noun with a verb? It is what we are learning today.
Recently we have learned “concise endings” in the section 20. They are a kind of writing style*, because they are used for sentence endings in a writing such as newspaper, technical report, and contract document. But the same patterns of verb predicates can also be used for a middle of a sentence, that is to be placed in front of a noun, in order to modify the noun.
The followings are examples of noun-modification with verb clause;
<1> Modified Noun is the object (-o) of a verb
– Present/future-positive:
Example: Kodomo ga Taberu Okashi (snack that kids eat)
The verb “Taberu” is in dictionary form, modifying the noun “Okashi”. “Okashi” is a noun usually being an object of the transitive verb “Taberu/Tabemasu” as “Okashi o Tabemasu”
– Present/future-negative:
Example: Kodomo ga Tabenai Okashi (snack that kids don’t eat)
– Past-positive:
Example: Kinou Tabeta Okashi (snack that I ate yesterday)
– Past-negative:
Example: Kinou Tabenakatta Okashi (snack that I didn’t eat yesterday)
<2> Modified Noun is the subject (-ga) of a verb
– Present/future-positive:
Example: Shukudai o Suru Gakusei (a student who does homework)
The verb “Suru” is in dictionary form, modifying the noun “Gakusei”. “Gakusei” is a noun usually being a subject of the verb “Suru/Shimasu” as “Gakusei ga Shukudai o Shimasu.”
– Present/future-negative:
Example: Shukudai o Shinai Gakusei (a student who doesn’t do homework)
– Past-positive:
Example: Shukudai o Shita Gakusei (a student who did homework)
– Past-negative:
Example: Shukudai o Shinakatta Gakusei (a student who didn’t do homework)
<3> Application of “V-te Iru” to Modification of a Noun
– Present-positive:
Example: Ima Aruite iru Michi (a path that I am walking on now)
“Atuite” is the Te-form of “Aruku/Arukimasu”.
– Present-negative:
Example: Dare mo Aruite inai Michi (a path that no one is walking on.)
– Past-positive:
Example: Tomodachi ga Aruite ita Michi (a path that my friend was walking on.)
– Past-negative:
Example: Dare mo Aruite inakatta Michi (a path that no one was walking on.)
*: Concise ending can also be speech style by putting ending particle like “-yo.”, “-ne”, and “-yone.” I omit mentioning this just for sake of simplicity.
This post was written with reference to the exercise A1 on Section22 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
Today’s expression is to be used in relatively casual conversation. I don’t think it is good to use it when you talk to older people, your boss, your teacher, your customer, and so on. If your listener is people of the same social status, then it’s okay to use.
Today’s expression can be classified by a predicate inside [Clause] as below;
[Clause] + deshou?
1. Predicate in [Clause] is a Verb
Both for <present/past tense> and <past tense>
[Concise ending of verb predicate] + deshou?
– Ashita Ohanami ni Iku deshou? (You are going to Under-cherry-blossom-party tomorrow, aren’t you?)
! The verb “Iku” is in present/future tense, and also the form of concise ending.
– Kinou Hakubutsukan de Konsa’ato ga Atta deshou? (I think a concert was held in the museum yesterday. Right?)
! The verb “Atta” is in past tense, and also the form of concise ending.
2. Predicate in [Clause] is an I-adjective
Both for <present/past tense> and <past tense>
[Concise ending of I-adjective predicate] + deshou?
– Nihon wa Sakana no Ryouri ga Oishii deshou? (Seafood is very good in Japan, isn’t it?)
! The I-adjective “Oishii” is in present tense, and also the form of concise ending.
– Kinou no Pa’a ti’i wa Tanoshikatta deshou? (Yesterday’s party was fun, wasn’t it?)
! The I-adjective “Tanoshikatta” is in past tense, and also the form of concise ending.
3. Predicate in [Clause] is a Na-adjective
For <present tense>
[Stem of Na-adjective] + deshou?
– Kono Heya wa Ju’ubun Kirei deshou? (Don’t you think this room is clean enough?)
! “Kirei” is not an I-adjective, but a Na-adjective. Concise ending is “Kireida.” But “Kireida deshou?” is wrong. It should be “Kirei deshou?”
For <past tense>
[Concise ending of Na-adjective predicate]
– Kinou Machi wa Shizuka datta deshou? (The town was quiet yesterday, wasn’t it?)
! The Na-adjective “Shizukadatta” is in past tense, and also the form of concise ending.
4. Predicate in [Clause] is a Noun
For <present tense>
[Noun] + deshou?
– Satou-san wa Daigakusei deshou? (Sato-san is a university student, isn’t she?)
! Although the concise ending for Noun Predicate is like “Daigakusei da”, “Daigakusei da deshou?” is wrong. It should be “Daigakusei deshou?”
For <past tense>
[Concise ending of Noun predicate]
– Kinou wa Yasumi datta deshou? (Yesterday was a day-off, wasn’t it?)
! “Yasumi datta” is in past tense, and also the form of concise ending.
Today’s “deshou” has a function to make a confirmation. But “deshou” has another function, that is express your speculation. “deshou” for speculation will be introduced in the section 32. As to distinction of the two, think like follows; “deshou” with ascending intonation is to make a confirmation. “deshou” with descending intonation is speculation.
– Kinou wa Ame datta deshou? (↑) — Confirmation
– Ashita wa Ame deshou. (↓) — Speculation
This post was written with reference to the exercise A4 on Section21 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
Today’s construction also uses the particle “to” that indicates the end of what to speak or what to think. And the predicate is a verb of speaking and thinking.
1. Watashi wa [what to speak/think] to [verb of speaking and thinking].
In the last two posts for A1 and A2 of the section 21, the predicate verb was “Omoimasu(think)”. Today’s verb is “Iu/Iimasu(say/speak/tell)”. Usually the verb “Iu/Iimasu” needs “to whom you are speaking to” as information. Therefore, a sentence using the verb “Iimasu” uses the word with particle “ni” as shown below.
2. Watashi wa Sensei ni Sakkaabu o Yameru to Iimashita. (I told my teacher that I was quitting the soccer club.)
Note that the predicate verb in the above sentence is in past tense “Iimashita”. If it’s in non-past tense “Iimasu”, it would mean “I am going to tell in near future”. Let us just use the past tense “Iimashita” in order to mention what has already happened rather than to say uncertain things in future.
The following examples have variation for the nested predicate. The sentence predicate is “Iimashita”.
3. V-dic: Yasumu
Watashi wa Kachou ni Ashita Yasumu to Iimashita. (I told my company manager that I was going to have day-off tomorrow.)
4. V-nai: Inai
Watashi wa Tomodachi ni Mada Ohirugohan o Tabete Inai to Iimashita. (I told my friend that I hadn’t eaten the lunch yet.)
– For the above sentence, “Tabenai to Iimashita” is wrong not only because it is inconsistent with the adverb “Mada (not yet)”, but also it means “I am not going to eat”. The current situation is “Not eating”, and “Not eating” is continuing some period of time until now. Therefore, you need to use “V-te iru”.
5. V-ta: Shita
Watashi wa Sensei ni Mou Shukudai wo Shita to Iimashita. (I told my teacher that I had already done the homework.)
6. I-adj: Hoshii
Watasi wa Haha ni Okane ga Hoshii to Iimashita. (I told my mother that I wanted money.)
– Don’t say “Okaasan” when you talk to people other than family members.
7. Na-adj: Kireida
Watashi wa Kanojo ni Kimi wa Kireida to Iimashita. (I told my girlfriend that she was beautiful.)
– Kimi is a noun that means you (not she) with a rude nuance.
– “Kirei” is not an I-adjective, but a Na-adjective!!
This post was written with reference to the exercise A3 on Section21 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
Agony or Fun?! Second Language Learning 