Structure
Noun + の + (previously mentioned noun)
Note: The previously mentioned noun is dropped.
Details
Part of Speech
Particle
Word Type
Case Marking Particle
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Standard
About の
A common pattern in Japanese is referring back to a noun that has already been mentioned, without actually repeating it. This is achieved through the use of the particle の, in a similar way to its standard possessive use. The noun that would usually follow の is dropped, as it has either been said earlier in the sentence, or is understood clearly from context.
In these examples, it would also be grammatically correct to use the same noun following の, but as can be seen in the English translation, it results in unnecessary repetition. This is called word stacking/redundant words (重ね言葉) in Japanese, and is considered a poor writing/speech habit. Despite this, it is important to know that this の is exactly the same as the possessive の (with the following word simply being left out).
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あの車、あなたが乗っているのですか。That car, was it the car (one) you drove? ('Car' repeated, when の 'the one' should have been used instead)
From this, it is clear that the repeated noun is not needed. Japanese is a language that avoids repeating words in many situations. This example shows noun replacement, rather than noun omission, another common use of の which we will cover in another lesson.
Examples
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その帽子は娘の(帽子)です。
That hat is my daughter's (hat).
あのパソコンは君の(パソコン)でしょう？
That computer is your (computer) right?
木綿のスカーフは私の(スカーフ)です。
The cotton scarf is my (scarf).
「この本は誰の(本)？」
「先週に来たお客さんの(本)。」
'Whose book is this (book)?'
'It's the customer's (who came in last week) (book).'
この駐車場もあなたの会社の(駐車場)ですか。
This parking lot is also your company's (parking lot)?
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の – Grammar Discussion
Most Recent Replies (3 in total)
gyroninja
To me it seems like the structure given is not used by the example sentences. The example sentences seem to all use a structure of
- Noun 1 ・ Pronoun + のOptional Noun 2
I don’t see any sentences where a pronoun immediately follows a noun.
Kai
The・is often used in Japanese to mean “or.”
So, the structure is [Noun 1 -or- Pronoun + のOptional Noun 2]. The・would have to be a + instead to indicate that the noun and pronoun are to be used in sequence together
gyroninja
That’s the problem. Bunpro uses a + which is why I am confused.
I am familiar with the convention of ・ meaning or and I even used it when explaining what I was seeing in the example sentences in my previous post.
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