8 Noun1 - (Modifying Noun/Formal Noun) - の - Noun2

Grammar

Grammar: Noun X + の + Noun Y
This structure represents the modification of one noun by another, also known as attributive modification, where the former noun modifies the latter, and の functions as a connector between them. While in English this is often translated as 'of', not all instances can be directly translated as such, and this distinction becomes clearer with experience.

私の本 - My book リンゴの皮 - Apple peel 日本語の教科書 - Japanese textbook

What is noun modification?

In Japanese, when two nouns are connected, most often "の" is used to link them. For example, "私の本" (watashi no hon) means "my book". This usage is called noun modification. Just like in Chinese, where we wouldn't say "我書" (wǒ shū), we need to use "の" to connect the nouns. However, not all instances of "の" can be translated as 'of', as seen in examples 2 and 3. Therefore, not all instances of "の" can be translated as 'of'.

How many types of noun modification are there?

From the examples just now, we can see that the usage of "の" differs in three sentences. In the first sentence, "私の本" (watashi no hon) means "my book", indicating possession, where the book belongs to me. In the second sentence, "リンゴの皮" (ringo no kawa) means "apple peel", indicating belonging, implying that the peel is part of the apple rather than stating that the peel belongs to the apple. In the third sentence, "日本語の教科書" (nihongo no kyoukasho) means "Japanese textbook", indicating content, stating that the content of the book is in Japanese, not English. Through explanations like these, we can understand that "の" doesn't always mean "of" in English. Further examples will be provided to help you gradually understand more.

Note: The classification of "の" into different types is done to clarify its usage, but in actual usage, it's not necessary to adhere strictly to these categories. As long as you understand that "の" doesn't always translate to "of" in English, the concept will be clear.

Expressing Possession:

私の本 - my book
彼の携帯電話 - his cell phone
鈴木さんのかばん - Ms. Suzuki's bag
小林さんのパソコン - Mr. Kobayashi's computer

Expressing Belonging/Part of:

机の引き出し - desk drawer
リンゴの皮 - apple peel/skin
椅子の脚 - chair leg
桃の花 - peach blossoms

Expressing Material:

木の棚 - wooden shelf
紙の箱 - paper/cardboard box
ガラスのコップ - glass cup
金属の楽器 - metal instrument

Expressing Relationships:

姉の友達 - older sister's friend
私の妹 - my younger sister
田中さんの上司 - Mr. Tanaka's boss
彼の息子 - his son

Expressing Type:

スイカのジュース - watermelon juice
家電のリサイクル - appliance recycling
果物の箱 - fruit box
雨の音 - sound of rain

Expressing Time:

朝の訓練 - morning training
スポーツの後 - after sports
夜の勉強 - evening studying
昨夜の放送 - last night's broadcast

Expressing Place:

亀有の商店街 - Kameari shopping district
陽明山の桜 - Yangmingshan cherry blossoms
日本の天気 - Japan's weather
台湾の気候 - Taiwan's climate

Expressing Quantity:

五人の学生 - five students
三匹の犬 - three dogs
一階の部屋 - first-floor room
二つの願い - two wishes

Expressing Content:

日本語の教科書 - Japanese textbook
英語の雑誌 - English magazine
経済の話 - economic topic
車の雑誌 - car magazine

Expressing Identity/Relationship (Apposition):

友人の田中さん - friend, Mr. Tanaka
課長の林さん - section chief, Mr. Hayashi
係長の陳さん - department head, Mr. Chen
一年生の佐藤君 - first-year student, Mr. Sato

In apposition, both noun X and noun Y refer to the same person. The "の" indicates that noun X is describing the identity or relationship of noun Y.

Noun X and Y can represent various relationships, including possession, belonging, material, interpersonal relationships, types, time, place, quantity, content, and identity. These relationships are clarified by the context and usage.

Noun ellipsis (Formal noun "の")

Grammar: Noun X + の (+ Noun Y) (omission of the following noun Y)
This structure indicates noun ellipsis, where "の" acts as a formal noun, replacing the omitted noun Y.

What is a Formal Noun?

Nouns in Japanese can be classified into five types: common nouns, proper nouns, pronouns, quantifiers, and formal nouns. Formal nouns refer to abstract concepts or relationships, unable to stand alone in meaning but functioning as nouns through modification. One such formal noun is "の", used to replace a noun directly. For example, in sentence 1, "このノートパソコンはあなた ​ のですか" (kono noto pasokon wa anata no desu ka), the omitted noun "ノートパソコン" (notebook computer) is replaced by "の", resulting in "このノートパソコンはあなたのですか" becoming "このノートパソコンはあなたのですか" (kono noto pasokon wa anata no desu ka), meaning "Is this notebook computer yours?"

その車は私の車です。➡ Omission ➡ その車は私のです。
That car is my car. ➡ Omission ➡ That car is mine.

この本は誰の本ですか。➡ Omission➡ この本は誰のですか。
Whose book is this? ➡ Omission ➡ Whose is this?

それは山田さんの山田さんのかばんですか。
Is that Yamada's bag?

はい、これは山田さんのです。
Yes, it's Yamada's