Genki Grammar #91: Mastering – Using Sentences to Qualify Nouns

Introduction

In Japanese, you can use whole sentences to describe or qualify nouns, much like adjectives do. This grammar structure helps you give more specific information about a noun. In this blog post, we will explain how to use sentences to qualify nouns, with clear examples to help you understand how it works.

What It Means

A qualifier sentence describes a noun in more detail, just like an adjective. For example, in the phrase おもしろい本 (omoshiroi hon), the adjective おもしろい (omoshiroi) describes the noun 本 (hon, “book”), telling us that it’s an interesting book. You can do the same thing with full sentences, adding more detail about the noun.

How It Works

To qualify a noun using a sentence, place the short form of a verb in front of the noun. This tells us something specific about the noun, such as what it does, where it is, or when you got it. Here are some examples:

1. きのう買った本
   (Kinou katta hon)
   The book that I bought yesterday.
2. 彼がくれた本
   (Kare ga kureta hon)
   The book that my boyfriend gave me.
3. つくえの上にある本
   (Tsukue no ue ni aru hon)
   The book that is on the table.
4. 日本で買えない本
   (Nihon de kaenai hon)
   The book that you can’t buy in Japan.

Examples

Here are some full sentences that use qualifier sentences to describe nouns:

1. これは去年の誕生日に彼がくれた本です。
   (Kore wa kyonen no tanjoubi ni kare ga kureta hon desu.)
   This is a book that my boyfriend gave me on my birthday last year.
   (cf. これは本です。This is a book.)
2. 母が村上春樹が書いた本をくれました。
   (Haha ga Murakami Haruki ga kaita hon o kuremashita.)
   My mother gave me a book that Haruki Murakami wrote.
   (cf. 母が本をくれました。My mother gave me a book.)
3. 私が一番感動した映画は「君の名は」です。
   (Watashi ga ichiban kandou shita eiga wa “Kimi no Na wa” desu.)
   The movie I was most touched by is “Your Name.”
   (cf. 映画「君の名は」です。The movie is “Your Name.”)

Note

• The verbs used in qualifier sentences are in their short forms.
• The verb can be in the present or past tense, and it can be affirmative or negative.
• When there is a subject in the qualifier sentence (the person or thing doing the action), it is marked by the particle が, not は. For example, in 彼がくれた本, 彼が (kare ga, “my boyfriend”) is the subject who gave the book.

Conclusion

Using sentences to qualify nouns allows you to add more detail and meaning to your sentences in Japanese. Whether you’re talking about something you bought, something someone gave you, or a place where something is located, this structure helps you express more complex ideas in a clear way.