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.
Expressing that something belongs to someone or something.
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.
机の脚が折れた。
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.
木でできた家
a house made of wood
の can also indicate material or content, especially with containers or groups.
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.
彼は東京からの手紙を受け取った。
He received a letter from Tokyo.
Expressing amounts, numbers, or measurements.
Introducing the subject or topic of something.
について means 'about' or 'concerning'. Add の to modify a noun.
環境についての本
a book about the environment
に関する is a more formal way to say 'regarding' or 'concerning'.
Describing a quality or feature of something.
Clarifying that two nouns refer to the same thing.
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.
愛の力
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.
a glass cup (a cup made of glass)
水の入ったボトル
a bottle of water
出身 means 'origin' or 'hailing from'. Used for people's origins.
大阪出身の友達
a friend from Osaka
one kilogram of rice
安全に関する規則
rules concerning safety
the secret of success
the capital, Tokyo
I like swimming. (lit. the act of swimming is liked)
彼が来るのを待っている。
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.