Questions tagged [relative-clauses]
連体修飾節（関係節）. A type of subordinate clause which modifies a noun phrase.
173
questions
3
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1answer
115 views
Relative Clauses and Adjective Placement
How would you add adjectives inside a relative clause to the thing being modified? Is the placement set?
For example, in this sentence, can "new" come directly before computer (1) or should it be ...
3
votes
2answers
89 views
Question about 変な奴だって思う子がいたら
Im reading a manga called Yotsubato and this phrase occurs when Yotsuba dad is talking to a girl witch is his neighbour.
He says: 変な奴だって思う子がいたら.
The meaning is: If you see a girl that makes you ...
0
votes
2answers
142 views
verbs with adjectival function?
In the sentence "忘れられない夜にする" does the verb "忘れる" have the function of an adjective? What is the meaning of the phrase? Is there any way to make verbs have a Japanese adjectival function?
2
votes
1answer
206 views
負かした俺: who beat whom in this relative clause?
Context: Riku is a boxer of Baba gym. Tokorozawa is a retired boxer of Baba gym. Ishigami is a retired boxer of an unmentioned gym. Tokorozawa beat Ishigami in the past. Recently, Tokorozawa asked a ...
2
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1answer
80 views
How to say “the one I sent the letter to”
I sent him the letter - 彼に手紙を送ってあげた
He was the one who sent me the letter - 手紙を送ってくれたのは、彼だった
He was the one I sent the letter to - ???
6
votes
2answers
230 views
Is 誰か行きたい人 a form of double-headed relative clause?
I came across the phrase "誰か行きたい人" in this thread and I think it would be used in a context like
"誰か行きたい人がいるか？".
However I am kind of confused by how it works grammatically.
Is 誰か行きたい a relative ...
3
votes
2answers
191 views
Aren't 「から」 and 「ので」 closer to the meaning of “because” rather than “so”?
To my understanding all particles affect the word or clause that appears before them: 「駅から家まで行く。」 means "I'll go from the station to my house" rather than "I'll go the station from house to go".
So ...
2
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1answer
280 views
Help parsing a sentence with two を
Context: in the Dead Tube manga, a villain is talking about how she turned people into zombies by giving them a hallucinogenic drug and explains that they are "contagious".
...
3
votes
1answer
120 views
What tense of a verb should be used in the subordinate clause?
In the following example, what tense of the verb should be used: past or non-past? If both are possible will the meaning change?
Children will eat anything their mother brings home.
...
6
votes
1answer
625 views
How to say “Why I started studying Japanese”
I have a Japanese assignment that requires me to write about anything I want. I decided that I wanted to write about why I want to learn Japanese. I think the title should be "Why I want to study ...
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2answers
200 views
The exquisite depths of 和菓子's mind
Consider the following quote from this article:
和菓子は季節とともに変化するもの。パッと見て何を模したかわかる形もあれば、どんな意味が込められているのか考えるものもあり……。
As I understand it, the last clause is supposed to mean "there are ones (ie. certain ...
3
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1answer
199 views
Meaning for 昔から大好きな親戚の姉さん
I sometimes hear 姉さん used as just another way of addressing an older woman but I don't understand the usage of 親戚の姉さん. 親戚(shinseki) is relative so does Shinseki no Nesan mean the literal older sister ...
2
votes
2answers
182 views
Help with showing lack of a 'because' construct in translating the bolded sentence?
Two characters are having the following conversation:
A:「あなたにも殺し屋になってもらうの。ツヴァイ」
“You too will become a assassin. Zwei.”
B:「馬鹿言うなよ……。なんで僕が、そんなことやらなきゃならないんだよ⁉」
“Don’t say something so ...
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1answer
138 views
Which clause is the だけ in 身の危険が迫った時にだけ発現する能力だから attached to?
身の危険が迫った時にだけ発現する能力だから
I know there are two relative clauses in the above sentence, as shown below.
Example structure is [verb/sentence]noun/main clause]
Relative clause 1: [身の危険が迫った]時]
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3
votes
2answers
154 views
Questions about Noun+が+Adjective
Here is a phrase:
ねだんが たかいレストランは あまり すきじゃない
I don't like high price restaurant very much
Now, the questions.
If I used たかいねだん レストラン, would it be wrong? Or would mean something different?
...
3
votes
1answer
82 views
Is it possible to make a relative clause & main clause using a formal noun, such as はず?
I know that a relative clause and main clause are formed when you have a construct of [sentence/verb] + noun in Japanese. While attempting to translate the following sentence, I found three of the ...
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1answer
142 views
Is the function of this ある a pre-noun adjectival, or is it a verb that forms a relative clause?
I'm going over my previously done translations to see if any need further editing, and the following comes up.
背後{はいご}で聞{き}き覚{おぼ}えのある声{こえ}がして、思{おも}わず一歩後{いっぽあと}ずさってしまった。
I relearned yesterday that ...
3
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1answer
126 views
Using prepositions in relative clauses?
Example:
Let's say I want to reference "the bridge that I ran underneath".
I would presume that the sentence would be:
下に走った橋
I feel like there's a lot of ambiguity here, but I guess that's ...
2
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0answers
76 views
Delimiting prenominal relative clauses
I encountered this sentence:
提供サービスごとの適切な値付けを行い、事業が継続的・発展的に拡大する戦略を立案する
Is there any way of knowing if this is
提供サービスごとの適切な値付けを行い、事業が継続的・発展的に拡大する戦略を立案する
or
提供サービスごとの適切な値付けを行い、事業が継続的・...
2
votes
3answers
109 views
noun adjective grammar
学校の窓ガラスを割った生徒に反省文を書かせました。 in this phrase why did we use two を particles, does it mean two objects are here ?? can anyone explan the sentence structure..any similar examples also
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1answer
80 views
Relationship between temporal/adverbial nouns modified by relative clauses with verbs
I came across with the following sentence:
受験勉強で疲弊した深夜、グレープフルーツのへそに親指を挿入した瞬間、胸からぷしゅっと黄色の粒子が噴出した。
I was doubtful about how the sentences separated by commas were related to each other, so I asked a ...
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2answers
215 views
Head-internal relative clauses
I am trying to figure out head-internal relative clauses. A paper I looked at presented two versions of the same sentence, one with the head word (りんご) outside the relative clause:
[皿の上にあった]...
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votes
3answers
2k views
How to say “that” as in “the cow that ate” in Japanese?
I'm sure there are plenty of resources on this topic, but I don't know what keywords to use to find them.
I want to know how you might create a noun by saying that the noun does something.
For ...
0
votes
1answer
59 views
Differentiation between subjects in relative clauses?
how do you distinguish between saying for example “A person he likes” and “A person who likes him” if they would both be 彼が好きな人？is there a way around that? different wording? a different particle? i ...
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2answers
141 views
Connecting sentences with dictionary form verbs?
This is from the "intro" of the novel talking in general about sayayins . It seems that is like a sort of poetic/archaic style as the grammar doesn't make sense to me.
彼らは戦いを好み、ほかの星を侵略する宇宙のならず者だった。
...
3
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1answer
90 views
Relative clauses: 多い人 vs 多くの人
I was practising a grammar pattern, so in my personal example I wrote:
多いオーストラリア人
However, a native speaker corrected me with:
多くのオーストラリア人
I understand that in relative clauses that adjectives ...
3
votes
1answer
77 views
Relative pronouns in せずにはいられない + noun
天を仰ぎ両手を合わせずにはいられない結果が得られている
In the above excerpt, I'm not 100% sure how to connect the 結果 with the rest of the sentence. I do understand that the meaning is something like "Obtained result that you ...
3
votes
2answers
148 views
“~たい”-form and associated particle usage
My question is about the "~たい"-form ("want to").
I know that in a sentence containing this form, you can use は to mark the person who desires something. For example, "私は、東京に行きたい".
But then I came ...
4
votes
1answer
101 views
passive ambiguity in this sentence
そう言って今度は頭を下げられる俺。
After saying that, she directs a bow at me.
the other party is making a request so there is no doubt in context who is bowing.
In isolation i find rearanging this relative ...
0
votes
1answer
158 views
無謀とも言えるその計画に (Reckless can be said that plan to)
I have seen the above construction only twice online, but it sounds like one of those sentences where the word order has been moved around in order to give it maybe a Shakespearean effect, or samurai ...
4
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1answer
204 views
ではない in Relative Clauses
I have read in several sources that it is grammatically incorrect to use は (topic particle) in relative clauses. However, I am almost certain that I have seen constructions like the following:
...
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0answers
84 views
Explanation for 'noun + な + ので', is 'ので' still a 接続助詞 here?
I saw the following statement in a grammar book:
接続助詞 'ので' can only be placed after 用言 and 助動詞 in form of 連体形.
But in another text book it says that ので can also be placed after a noun, and then ...
4
votes
1answer
129 views
Nominalized verb and connection to noun after が particle
I'm attempting to read a book and I don't understand the grammar 100% here.
ジャックはもうすぐ九歳。本を読んだり、自然を観察したりするのが大好きな男の子だ。
Overall, I believe it means:
Jack will soon be 9 years old. A lovable boy ...
4
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1answer
198 views
の: nominalization vs. 'the one that…'
の can be used as a noun with a relative clause in what appears to be two separate situations.
Referring to a thing or person, e.g. '来たのは田中です。' ('The one who came is Tanaka.')
Nominalizing a verb (as ...
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0answers
114 views
Combining multiple verbs
I work in a hotel and I was asking a coworker if we are permitted to drink the coffee in a certain location near the desk. I am trying to be formal with this request.
I asked "Are we allowed to take ...
2
votes
2answers
72 views
られる noun phrase
In the sentence : 日本で作られたもの ですが, ハワイに行ったときに買いました the noun phrase 日本で作られた describes もの. Why not use 日本の or 日本が in the noun phrase? From my understanding It would still mean that it is 'made in Japan'. ...
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1answer
107 views
Parsing the sentence 書く人物の顔が頭に入っていないと効果はない
This sentence is from Death Note, specifically on how to use it.
This sentence is written in-universe using English. It states, “This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person’s ...
2
votes
1answer
75 views
relative clause with direct object
Generally:
AはBを食べる <-> Bを食べるA
but i do not think i can't rearrange this in terms of
~~~B
However if it its a sentence with an indirect object as well:
「昔は天の川に見立てた川に笹を流して願い事をする行事なんかもあった
...
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1answer
61 views
How do I turn a phrase into an adjective [duplicate]
日本語が分からない人
Is a phrase that means a man who doesn't understand japanese but how does this grammar work I mean you do I turn a whole phrase into an adjective do I have to but the inter phrase and then ...
2
votes
1answer
82 views
Could Vた-form be an adjective?
In the following sentence:
割れた彗星の一部は隕石となって、日本に落下。
Though it sounds strange and amateurish, I see 割れた as an adjective for 彗星. So what is the grammatical role of 割れた in this sentence? and if it is ...
3
votes
2answers
119 views
Nominalized verb without の or こと
I saw this:
アンさんはべんきょうをおしえるひとです。
Is this a correct sentence? I got confused with おしえる人. I thought we cannot follow a verb with another noun without nominalizing it with either の or こと. Should ...
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1answer
114 views
Trouble with a small excerpt from Tanizaki's Himitsu
I'm having some trouble understanding the following excerpt (from Tanizaki's Himitsu):
甘い匂いのひやひやとした露が、毛穴へ染み入る皮膚のよろこびは格別であった
"The sweet scented and chilly dew" does what? "the delight of the skin ...
0
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1answer
101 views
How to make sense of 呪縛から解放されるウソという名の魔法
I'm having problem figuring out the idea or meaning of a sentence while reading manga.
The context is that a character A told someone (character B) a big lie, and influenced by that lie, B started to ...
3
votes
1answer
148 views
Relative clauses modifying a noun: passive voice?
Hopefully, the two following sentences are grammatically valid:
旅行の後で帰った時話を話す。
旅行の後で帰った時話が話される。
If so, can I use either as a basis for a relative clause modifying 話; are the two following ...
3
votes
2answers
413 views
Sentence Structure JLPT question 「日本語がかんたんな本」
Please help.
I found this question on the N5 practice exam:
ヤン 「私はこの本を買います。アンナさんはどんな本がいいですか。」
アンナ 「 私はもうすこし ( _ _ ☆ _) がいいです。」
A. 本
B. かんたんな
C. が
D. 日本語
Please explain why ...
6
votes
2answers
168 views
Does 考えさせられる小説 make sense?
Something I learned early on, when I learnt the causative-passive was, that the sentences also make sense, when you drop the causative-passive, e.g.
私はパンを食べさせられた。
私はパンを食べた。
Basically, "it's just a ...
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vote
2answers
91 views
お願いをする あの子たち relative clause meaning
I posted a question some time ago about this same sentence, but about a different grammar problem than this one.
So the sentence:
せめてお願いをするあの子たち以外にはできるだけ迷惑をかけないようにしないと
The context is that the ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
How to interpret “彼女が複数人いるような男”
ああもう、マジで彼女が複数人いるような男は普段から何してんだ。
speaker's thoughts on his futility on getting a date
...what do guys with lots of girls normally do?
not quite sure how to read 彼女が複数人いるような男, literally a guy that ...
3
votes
4answers
194 views
Use of を with 進める
2020年の開業に向けて、ＪＲ東日本が東京の山手線の品川駅と田町駅の間で建設を進めている新しい駅の工事現場が、初めて報道関係者に公開されました。
The construction site of a new station, that JR are progressing between the Yamanote and Tamachi stations with the aim of a ...
3
votes
1answer
131 views
が frequentally being used in ways I cant understand
I just started reading 上級へのとびら, an intermediate book with a lot of reading sections. Throughout my reading there have been a couple cases where I can't understand the usage of が in my sentences.
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