A's B (shows possession)
- A's B (shows possession)
- The A one Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A directly modifies B, B of A Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- C which/whose A is B. C's A is B Used as a relative clause to describe C
- B who/that is a(n) A

あの猫の目がとても素敵だ。
That cat's eyes are wonderful.
7点
彼女のパソコンは古い。
Her computer is old.
8点
あの先生の指導は素晴らしいと評判だ。
That teacher's guidance is reputed to be wonderful.
9点
これは誰の帽子?落とし物かな。
Whose hat is this? I wonder if someone lost it.
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Getting the sentences
Lesson
の
We're going to focus on the particle の.
Its most common use is to mark possession.
That means it helps create the words "my", "your", "her", "their", etc.
わたし の
あなた の
カオちゃん の
This would be "my" ("I" + の).
This would be "my" ("I" + の).
And this is "your" ("you" + の).
You can use any noun, not just pronouns. This would be "Kao-chan's".
わたし の なまえ
It's used in front of nouns, like this!
It's used in front of nouns, like this!
You've got "I" + の + name (なまえ), which is...
"my name"!
わたし の なまえ は カオ です
Now, let's roll this up with the です verb we learned before.
Now, let's roll this up with the です verb we learned before.
If you recall, we used the basic AはBです, or "A is B" structure.
We know the first half is "My name", and the second part has "カオ" (a name).
So, this sentence reads "My name is Kao." (You didn't forget that my name is Kao, right?)
わたし の おとうと は カオ です
カオ は わたし の おとうと です
Let's try this one. We've got わたし の おとうと (← little brother).
Let's try this one. We've got わたし の おとうと (← little brother).
The second part again contains カオ.
That leaves us with "My little brother is Kao."
Now, you can move the possessive to the 2nd half if you'd like.
Were you to translate this, it would be "Kao is my little brother."
きょう の てんき
にほんご の せんせい
There are a few other uses of の that deal with nouns and don't involve possession. Let's look at one of the more common ones.
There are a few other uses of の that deal with nouns and don't involve possession. Let's look at one of the more common ones.
For example, きょう (today) の てんき (weather) is "today's weather". This adds more information to the second noun.
This example is similar. The base noun せんせい (teacher) is changed to "Japanese teacher" when the にほんご の is added.
This one particle の can help you start to expand your writing and speaking.
This one particle の can help you start to expand your writing and speaking.
Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
先生の鞄 (the teacher's bag)
Where this grammar is found
User notes
The A one
Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- A's B (shows possession)
- The A one Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A directly modifies B, B of A Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- C which/whose A is B. C's A is B Used as a relative clause to describe C
- B who/that is a(n) A
0点
新しい靴は安いのを買うつもりです。
For my new shoes, I plan on buying inexpensive ones.
1点
コーヒーは濃いのが好きなんだ。
For coffee, I like strong ones.
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Basic Examples:
安いの (the cheap one)
清潔なの (the clean one)
私の (mine)
Where this grammar is found
User notes

Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A's B (shows possession)
- The A one Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A directly modifies B, B of A Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- C which/whose A is B. C's A is B Used as a relative clause to describe C
- B who/that is a(n) A
4点
綾子にはその話をきちんと伝えたの?
Did you accurately tell Ayako about that discussion?
2点
ちゃんと宿題はやったの?
Did you do all your homework?
5点
休みの日は何をしているの?
What do you do on days off?
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Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
お茶なの (is this tea?)
Basic Examples:
寒いの (are you cold?)
Basic Examples:
どうしたの? (What happened?)
Basic Examples:
有名なの (is it famous?)
Related Expressions
Where this grammar is found
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まさむね123
0
Level: 1
(4 years ago)
「のです」・「のだ」is a separate entry. It's not listed at the site at the time of typing this.


Level:
(11 years ago)
「のです」・「のだ」 is the full version of the "explanatory extension."
「ん です」・「んだ」 is an extremely common spoken (and informally written) contracted variant. But, it can't be used directly after a noun, because then there wouldn't technically be a copula at the end of the sentence. So...
「なのです」・「なんです」(and 「なのだ」・「なんだ」) are used after nouns. Note that the な is actually a morphed だ, and you can see why it is used.
When asking for an explanation, obviously all of these things can have a か at the end. So something like:
アルバイトに行くのですか? or (アルバイトに行くんですか?)
彼の自転車なのですか? or (彼の自転車なんですか?)
When using the casual form in a question, though, the だ drops out. Notice that in this case you cannot contract の into ん:
アルバイトに行くのか?
彼の自転車なのか?
The above can sound somewhat abrupt (or masculine), so oftentimes people (especially, but certainly not limited to, women) will drop the か. The の is then said with the same rising intonation that the question marker か is usually given. Again, this cannot be contracted to ん:
アルバイトに行くの?
彼の自転車なの?
This form can also be used in non-question statements, in which case there would be no rising intonation on the の:
アルバイトに行くの。
彼の自転車なの。
「ん です」・「んだ」 is an extremely common spoken (and informally written) contracted variant. But, it can't be used directly after a noun, because then there wouldn't technically be a copula at the end of the sentence. So...
「なのです」・「なんです」(and 「なのだ」・「なんだ」) are used after nouns. Note that the な is actually a morphed だ, and you can see why it is used.
When asking for an explanation, obviously all of these things can have a か at the end. So something like:
アルバイトに行くのですか? or (アルバイトに行くんですか?)
彼の自転車なのですか? or (彼の自転車なんですか?)
When using the casual form in a question, though, the だ drops out. Notice that in this case you cannot contract の into ん:
アルバイトに行くのか?
彼の自転車なのか?
The above can sound somewhat abrupt (or masculine), so oftentimes people (especially, but certainly not limited to, women) will drop the か. The の is then said with the same rising intonation that the question marker か is usually given. Again, this cannot be contracted to ん:
アルバイトに行くの?
彼の自転車なの?
This form can also be used in non-question statements, in which case there would be no rising intonation on the の:
アルバイトに行くの。
彼の自転車なの。

A directly modifies B, B of A
Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- A's B (shows possession)
- The A one Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A directly modifies B, B of A Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- C which/whose A is B. C's A is B Used as a relative clause to describe C
- B who/that is a(n) A
3点
彼からのメールが久しぶりに届いた。
I got the first email from him in awhile.
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Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
日本の会社 (a Japanese company)
アメリカまでの切符 (a ticket to America)
友達からのプレゼント (a present from a friend)
あなたへの手紙 (a letter for you)
東京でのイベント (an event in Tokyo)
お母さんとの話 (a talk with Mom)
Where this grammar is found
User notes

Level:
(11 years ago)
Direct modification would be like 「アメリカの大学」 (American university), or 「四つ葉のクローバー」 (four-leaf clover).
Behaving more like [of] would be like 「世の中の男」 (the men of the world), or 「時間の問題」 (a matter of time).
Because of this [of] meaning, depending on the situation 「の」 might actually more closely correspond to other English prepositions, like [at], [in], or [on]:
「二階のエレベーター」 -- the elevator on the second floor (the second floor's elevator)
「公園のテーブル」 -- the table at the park (the park's table)
「本のページ」 -- the pages in the book (the book's pages)
Interestingly, while in English we have two separate ways to write the above examples, in Japanese they are both expressed simply with the particle 「の」.
Behaving more like [of] would be like 「世の中の男」 (the men of the world), or 「時間の問題」 (a matter of time).
Because of this [of] meaning, depending on the situation 「の」 might actually more closely correspond to other English prepositions, like [at], [in], or [on]:
「二階のエレベーター」 -- the elevator on the second floor (the second floor's elevator)
「公園のテーブル」 -- the table at the park (the park's table)
「本のページ」 -- the pages in the book (the book's pages)
Interestingly, while in English we have two separate ways to write the above examples, in Japanese they are both expressed simply with the particle 「の」.

C which/whose A is B. C's A is B
Used as a relative clause to describe C
- A's B (shows possession)
- The A one Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A directly modifies B, B of A Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- C which/whose A is B. C's A is B Used as a relative clause to describe C
- B who/that is a(n) A
4点
あの髪の長い人は私の妹です。
That person with the long hair is my younger sister.
3点
赤ちゃんの可愛い服を探しています。
I'm looking for clothes that are cute on a baby.
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Construction
(Elements in parentheses are optional.)
Basic Examples:
皮の薄いオレンジ (a thin-skinned orange)
Notes
The の is usually written as が if the clause is written as a standalone sentence.
Basic Examples
彼は頭がいいです -> 頭のいい彼
その子は背が高い -> 背の高い子
Where this grammar is found
User notes
B who/that is a(n) A
- A's B (shows possession)
- The A one Used to abbreviate after a noun has already been mentioned. The の directly replaces the noun.
- Follows A; turning the sentence into a question (casual).
- A directly modifies B, B of A Broadly works as the preposition 'of'
- C which/whose A is B. C's A is B Used as a relative clause to describe C
- B who/that is a(n) A
5点
総理大臣の佐藤さんは近所に住んでいる。
The Prime Minster Sato lives nearby.
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Where this grammar is found
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Discussion about this grammar
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