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According to a book I'm studying, the following sentence:
チャンさんは札幌から本社の鈴木さんに電話をしました。
is translated as:
Ms. Chan made a phone call from Sapporo to Mr. Suzuki at the main office.
I understand the translation, except from the use of that の particle between 本社 and 鈴木さん. Why is の required there?
In addition, could I put that から after the 本社? I mean: 札幌本社から
Well, 「札幌本社」 works, but it changes the meaning of the sentence.
チャンさんは札幌から本社の鈴木さんに電話をしました
Ms. Chan called from Sapporo. She was in Sapporo and probably at their Sapporo branch. She called Mr. Suzuki who was at the headquarters, and the implication is that the headquarters were not in Sapporo.
札幌本社から鈴木さんに電話をしました
Now this sentence is saying the headquarters were located in Sapporo and Ms. Chan called from there. It doesn't say anything about Mr. Suzuki's location.
The particle の is needed in the noun phrase 本社の鈴木さん because 本社鈴木さん doesn't make sense unless that person is called 「本社鈴木」. This の particle expresses belonging, like Mr. Suzuki of the main office. It indicates that Suzuki is a member of the main office.
