Translation guide
The English preposition 'of' has no single Japanese equivalent. It is expressed through possessive particles, noun modification, and context-dependent patterns. This guide organizes the most common meanings and shows how to express them naturally in Japanese.
the leg of the desk
a friend of mine
Expressing that something belongs to someone or something.
The particle の links two nouns, indicating possession or belonging. A is the possessor, B is the possessed.
This is my book.
His car is new.
Indicating that something is a part or component of something else.
The same の pattern is used for part-whole relationships. A is the whole, B is the part.
The leg of the desk broke.
Describing what something is made of or contains.
Use でできた to mean 'made of'. A is the material.
a house made of wood
Indicating where someone or something comes from.
から means 'from', and の turns it into a noun modifier. Use for physical origin or source.
Expressing amounts, numbers, or measurements.
の is used with counters and quantities. A is the number/quantity, B is the thing being counted.
three students (lit. three people of students)
Introducing the subject or topic of something.
について means 'about' or 'concerning'. Add の to modify a noun.
a book about the environment
Describing a quality or feature of something.
の can link a descriptive noun to another noun, similar to an adjective.
a symbol of peace
Clarifying that two nouns refer to the same thing.
の can be used for apposition, where A and B are the same entity. Common with titles, names, or roles.
my friend Tanaka (lit. friend of Tanaka)
There is no single Japanese word for 'of'. The particle の covers many uses, but not all. Translating 'of' word-for-word often leads to unnatural Japanese. Always consider the relationship between the nouns and choose the appropriate pattern.
the power of love
When 'of' is part of a gerund or abstract concept (e.g., 'the act of doing'), Japanese often uses こと or の to nominalize verbs. の is more common in spoken Japanese, while こと is more formal or abstract.
I ate half of this cake.
の can also indicate material or content, especially with containers or groups.
a glass cup (a cup made of glass)
a bottle of water
He received a letter from Tokyo.
出身 means 'origin' or 'hailing from'. Used for people's origins.
a friend from Osaka
one kilogram of rice
に関する is a more formal way to say 'regarding' or 'concerning'.
rules concerning safety
the secret of success
the capital, Tokyo
I like swimming. (lit. the act of swimming is liked)
I'm waiting for him to come. (lit. waiting for the event of him coming)
In many cases, English 'of' is simply omitted in Japanese compound nouns. For example, 'city hall' is 市役所 (しやくしょ), not 'hall of the city'. When a compound noun exists in Japanese, use it instead of forcing a の construction.