N3#grammar#relative-clauses#modifiers#n3

Relative Clauses Lesson 2

Expanding on N4 relative clauses, this lesson focuses on using relative clauses to describe nouns with more complex sentence structures, including the use of particles within the modifying clause.

Context

Describing the world around you

In daily life, we often need to specify exactly which person or object we are talking about. Instead of just saying 'the book,' you might need to say 'the book that I bought yesterday' or 'the book that Tanaka-san recommended.'

In Japanese, we use relative clauses to turn an entire sentence into an adjective. When you want to describe a noun using a sentence that contains its own internal particles (like 'I bought a book'), you simply place that sentence directly before the noun.

Explanation

The Structure of Relative Clauses

A relative clause acts as a modifier for a noun. The structure is essentially: [Sentence] + [Noun].

[Sentence (plain form)]+[Noun]

The verb inside the modifying sentence must be in the plain form (dictionary form, past tense, or negative). You do not use polite forms like 'masu' inside the relative clause.

Tip

Remember that the subject of the relative clause, if specified, is marked with the particle 'ga' (が) rather than 'wa' (は) in most cases.

Examples

Examples in Context

Observe how the entire action describes the final noun.

昨日(きのう)買った(かった)本(ほん)を読みました。

I read the book that I bought yesterday.

昨日きのうyesterday買ったかったbought本ほんbook

田中さん(たなかさん)が書いた(かいた)手紙(てがみ)を読みました。

I read the letter that Tanaka-san wrote.

田中さんたなかさんTanaka-san書いたかいたwrote手紙てがみletter

あれは私が【住んでいる】（住む）家です。

Hint: Use the progressive form to describe a state of living.

That is the house where I live.

Usage

Usage and Nuance

Relative clauses are essential for natural, descriptive Japanese. They allow for dense information packaging.

Relative Clause vs. Simple Sentence

本を買いました。面白いです。

Two separate sentences.

I bought a book. It is interesting.

買った本は面白いです。

Relative clause modifier.

The book I bought is interesting.

Which form is grammatically correct inside a relative clause?

食べます本
✓ 食べた本
食べました本

Relative clauses must use the plain form (past tense 'ta-form' in this case) to modify the noun.

Deep dive

Deep Dive: Particles in Relative Clauses

Advanced notes on particle usage.

When the subject of the relative clause is different from the main sentence, use 'ga' (が) to mark it. If you use 'wa' (は), it creates a topic-comment structure that usually doesn't fit within a modifier clause.

Summary

Lesson Summary

Relative clauses allow you to turn a full sentence into a descriptive tag for a noun. By using the plain form of the verb, you can link actions to objects seamlessly.

昨日

きのうnoun

yesterday

書く

かくverb

to write

手紙

てがみnoun

letter

住む

すむverb

to live