昨日きのう買かった本ほんClauses before nouns

Put a plain-form clause directly before a noun to identify or describe that noun. The clause and noun together make one noun phrase, such as “the book I bought” or “the person who is waiting.”

The noun comes last

Japanese gives the description first and places the noun being described at the end. In 妹いもうとが描かいた絵え, the whole clause before 絵え tells you which picture is meant.

これは妹いもうとが描かいた絵えです。

This is a picture my younger sister drew.

Analyze

The noun completes the idea

The final noun often has an understood role inside the clause. In 私わたしが昨日きのう買かった本ほん, the book is the thing that was bought, so no object appears after 買かった. Other particles that belong inside the clause remain in place.

The whole phrase can take a particle

駅えきで待まっている人ひとに声こえをかけました。

I spoke to the person waiting at the station.

Analyze

The particle に comes after the head noun and marks the role of the complete noun phrase in the larger sentence.

Choose time inside the clause

Choose the modifying verb form for the time it describes. It does not have to match the tense of the sentence’s final verb.

毎まい朝あさ飲のむコーヒーを買かいました。

I bought the coffee I drink every morning.

Analyze

まだ読よんでいない本ほんが三さん冊さつあります。

I have three books that I have not read yet.

Analyze

先せん週しゅう借かりた本ほんを今日きょう返かえします。

I will return today the book I borrowed last week.

Analyze

The borrowing is past, while the returning is scheduled for today.

Describing a noun versus making the clause noun-like

Here, the clause directly describes an overt noun, as in 読よむ本ほん. When a clause is followed by の or こと and the entire event is treated like a noun, that is a different pattern.