〜の〜
Possession / noun modifier
の joins two nouns: AのB means 'A's B' or 'B of / from / about A'. The first noun always describes or owns the second.
How to make it
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + の + Noun | わたし + 本 → わたしの本 |
| Noun + の (the second noun is left out when it's clear) | わたしの本 → わたしの |
| Noun + の + Noun + の + Noun | 友だちのお母さんの車 |
Meaning and examples
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1. Ownership
Shows who something belongs to, like 'my' or 'the teacher's'.
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これはわたしのかばんです。
これはわたしのかばんです。
kore wa watashi no kaban desu.
This is my bag.
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先生の車は白いです。
せんせいのくるまはしろいです。
sensei no kuruma wa shiroi desu.
The teacher's car is white.
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2. Type, content or origin
The first noun describes what kind of thing the second noun is, such as a Japanese book or a university teacher.
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日本語の本を買いました。
にほんごのほんをかいました。
nihongo no hon o kaimashita.
I bought a book in Japanese.
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山下さんは大学の先生です。
やましたさんはだいがくのせんせいです。
yamashita san wa daigaku no sensei desu.
Mr Yamashita is a university lecturer.
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3. Position
With words like 上, 下, 中 and 前, の shows where something is in relation to something else.
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ねこはつくえの上にいます。
ねこはつくえのうえにいます。
neko wa tsukue no ue ni imasu.
The cat is on the desk.
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駅の前で会いましょう。
えきのまえであいましょう。
eki no mae de aimashou.
Let's meet in front of the station.
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4. Standing in for a noun
When the thing is clear, you can drop it and keep just の, as in わたしのです (it's mine).
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そのかさはだれのですか。わたしのです。
そのかさはだれのですか。わたしのです。
sono kasa wa dare no desu ka. watashi no desu.
Whose umbrella is that? It's mine.
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Nuance
The order is always 'owner or describer + の + thing', the opposite of English 'of': 日本語の先生 is 'a teacher of Japanese'. You can chain several の in a row. Don't use の after adjectives: い-adjectives go straight before a noun (大きい車), and な-adjectives use な (きれいな花).
Compared with
A な-adjective joins a noun with な (しずかな店). の is for joining a noun to another noun.
An い-adjective goes directly before a noun with nothing in between (高い本), so no の is needed.
Common mistakes
Wrongこれはわたし本です。
Rightこれはわたしの本です。
Two nouns need の between them to show who owns the thing.
Wrong大きいの車がほしいです。
Right大きい車がほしいです。
い-adjectives go directly before a noun without の.
Wrongしずかの店がすきです。
Rightしずかな店がすきです。
な-adjectives use な, not の, before a noun.
Practice
JLPT style: choose the best answer for （ ）.
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1これは山下さん（ ）かさです。
の shows the umbrella belongs to Mr Yamashita. を, に and が can't join two nouns like this.
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2ねこはテーブル（ ）下にいます。
テーブルの下 means 'under the table'; position words need の. で, を and へ don't join two nouns.
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3それはだれ（ ）かばんですか。
だれのかばん means 'whose bag'. The other particles cannot link だれ to かばん.
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4これは（ ）車です。
新しい is an い-adjective, so it goes directly before the noun. Adding の or な is wrong, and 新しく is the adverb form.
FAQ
Is の the same as 's in English?
It often works like 's (先生の車 = the teacher's car), but it is broader. It also shows type, place or origin, as in 日本の車 (a Japanese car) or つくえの上 (on the desk).
Can I put の after an adjective?
Not to join it to a noun. い-adjectives go straight before the noun and な-adjectives use な. の only joins nouns.
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