JLPT N5Everyday

昨日きのう買かった本ほんthe book (that) I bought

English names a thing and then describes it: "the book I bought yesterday". Japanese puts the whole description first and the noun last, with nothing in between: no "that", no "who", no の.

昨日きのう買かった本ほんを読よんでいます。

I'm reading the book I bought yesterday.

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.

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.

How to form it

Plain-form verb + noun

The verb stays plain in a polite sentence: です or ます at the end is enough.

Before the noun	In English
読よむ本ほん	a book I read, or am going to read
読よまない本ほん	a book I don't read
読よんだ本ほん	a book I have read
読よんでいる本ほん	the book I'm reading

The description comes first

You already do this with adjectives: 新あたらしい本ほん, a new book. A verb goes in the same place, and brings everything that belongs to it.

友ともだちがケーキを作つくりました。

My friend made a cake.

A sentence.

友ともだちが作つくったケーキを食たべました。

I ate the cake my friend made.

The same words, now describing the cake. 作つくりました turns plain, and ケーキ moves to the end.

The description and its noun work as one noun, and the particle comes after the noun.

先せん生せいがすすめた店みせで昼ひるご飯はんを食たべました。

I ate lunch at the restaurant the teacher recommended.

庭にわで遊あそんでいる子こどもは弟おとうとです。

The child playing in the yard is my younger brother.

When you read, a plain verb with a noun right after it is the sign: what you have just read describes that noun.

No の after the verb

の joins two nouns. A verb goes straight in front of the noun, as 新あたらしい does.

Not said: 昨日きのう見みたの映えい画がはとてもおもしろかったです。

(The movie I watched yesterday was very interesting.)

の between the verb and the noun.

昨日きのう見みた映えい画がはとてもおもしろかったです。

The movie I watched yesterday was very interesting.

Nothing between them.

Who does it takes が

Inside the description, the one who does it takes が, not は. は marks what the whole sentence is about.

私わたしは友ともだちが撮とった写しゃ真しんを見みました。

I looked at the photos my friend took.

私わたしは: who looked. 友ともだちが: who took the photos.

Not said: これは妹いもうとは描かいた絵えです。

(This is a picture my younger sister drew.)

妹いもうとが描かいた絵え.

The time inside

The verb in the description has its own time. It doesn't copy the verb at the end of the sentence.

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.

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.

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.

"Where", "time to", "something to"

English changes the joining word: the hotel where we'll stay, time to study, something to drink. Japanese does the same thing every time.

来らい週しゅう泊とまるホテルは海うみの近ちかくです。

The hotel where we will stay next week is near the sea.

日本にほん語ごを勉べん強きょうする時じ間かんがありません。

I do not have time to study Japanese.

何なにか飲のむものはありますか。

Is there anything to drink?

Close neighbours

のN5

A noun describes another noun with の: whose it is, where it is from, what kind.

これは妹いもうとの絵えです。

This is my younger sister's picture.

の・ことN5

With の or こと where the noun would be, the action itself becomes a noun: "my sister drawing".

妹いもうとが絵えを描かくのを見みていました。

I was watching my younger sister draw a picture.

が・のN3

Inside the description, が is sometimes の. It means the same.

これは母ははの作つくったケーキです。

This is a cake my mother made.

Check yourself

1"I'm reading a book I borrowed from the library."

図と書しょ館かんで（　　）を読よんでいます。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which particle?

これは父ちち（　　）撮とった写しゃ真しんです。

Choose an answer to see why.

3"I bought a ticket for the movie I'm seeing next week."

来らい週しゅう（　　）映えい画がのチケットを買かいました。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

"With" and "in"

English picks people out with "the woman with glasses" or "the man in the black coat". Japanese says what they are wearing.

眼鏡めがねをかけている人ひとが山やま田ださんです。

The person with the glasses is Yamada.

More sentences

父ちちが使つかっていた机つくえを今いまは私わたしが使つかっています。

I now use the desk that my father used to use.

今日きょうはすることがたくさんあります。

I have a lot to do today.