JLPT N5 · Particles
の (no)
の (no) — possessive & noun linker
In short · の links two nouns: possession ("X's Y") or description (A の B = a B related to A).
Pattern
-
A の BA's B / a B of A
Possession
の shows that B belongs to A: わたしの ほん (my book), せんせいの くるま (the teacher's car).
Linking nouns (description)
A の B also means "a B related to A": にほんごの ほん (a Japanese-language book), だいがくの せんせい (a university teacher).
Standing in for a noun
の can replace a repeated noun: この ほんは わたしのです (this book is mine) — のです = "mine (one)".
Examples
-
これは わたしの かばんです。
Kore wa watashi no kaban desu.
This is my bag.
わたし の かばん = "my" + "bag".
-
にほんごの せんせいです。
Nihongo no sensei desu.
(She) is a Japanese teacher.
A の B: the main noun is B (teacher).
-
だれの ともだちですか。
Dare no tomodachi desu ka.
Whose friend is it?
Common mistakes
- の links two nouns. Don't put it between an adjective and a noun: say おおきい いえ, not ×おおきいの いえ.
- Order matters: A の B means B is the main thing. にほんごの ほん is a book (about Japanese), not a language.
More grammar points
- は は (wa) — the topic particle
- を を (o) — the object particle
- に に (ni) — time, destination, location
- で で (de) — place of action & means
- と と (to) — and / together with
- へ へ (e) — direction
- も も (mo) — also / too
- か か (ka) — the question marker
- から から・まで — from … to …
- より より (yori) — than (comparison)
- だけ ～だけ — “only ～”
- で ～で — place, means and cause
- が ～が — marks the subject
- か か — the question particle
- まで ～まで — “until / up to ～”
- も ～も — “also / too”
- なあ ～なあ — sentence-final feeling
- ね ～ね — “..., right? / isn’t it?”
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