Japanese has five nominal particles. They modify nouns (excluding adjectival nouns)
directly, then construct noun clauses which can be used as subjects, objects and so on.
This feature is different from the other kinds of particles. Three particles, 'no', 'to'
and 'ka' are essential among them. They decide logical relations between noun clauses.
'Na' and 'ya' provide similar functions to 'no' and ''to' respectively. In addition, there
are three complex nominal particle, 'na-no', 'de-no' and ''e-no'. 'Na', 'de' and ''e' are
not be followed by any particle except 'no'. They inherit their meanings from their
leading particles.
Basic Meanings
| Particle | Japanese | English |
|---|
| no | A no B | B of A |
|---|
| to | A to B | A and B |
|---|
| ka | A ka B | A or B |
|---|
- How to use nominal particle "no"
- Case 1a
- (K): ライオンの キング
- (J): raion no kingu
- (E): the king of lions
- How to use nominal particle "to"
- Case 2a
- (K): ライオンと タイガー
- (J): raion to taigah'
- (E): lions and tigers
- How to use nominal particle "ka"
- Case 3a
- (K): ライオンか タイガー
- (J): raion ka taigah'
- (E): lions or tigers
'Na' follows adjectival nouns, while 'no' follows nouns.
'Ya' has almost the same meaning with 'to'.
The difference is that 'ya' adds the meaning
as 'and so on' while 'to' does not.
- How to use nominal particle "na"
- Case 4a
- (K): ストロングな ライオン
- (J): sutorongu na raion
- (E): strong lions
- How to use nominal particle "ya"
- Case 5a
- (K): ライオンや タイガー
- (J): raion ya taigah'
- (E): lions, tigers and so on
All of them can be used as noun phrase in sentences.
- How to use nominal particle "no"
- Case 1b
- (K): あれが ライオンの キングです。
- (J): Are 'ga raion no kingu desu.
- (E): That is the king of lions
- How to use nominal particle "to"
- Case 2b
- (K): ライオンと タイガーを みました。
- (J): Raion to taigah' 'o mi-mashita.
- (E): I saw lions and tigers.
- How to use nominal particle "ka"
- Case 3b
- (K): ライオンか タイガーを みたかったです。
- (J): Raion ka taigah' 'o mi-ta-katta desu.
- (E): I wanted to see lions or tigers.
- How to use nominal particle "na"
- Case 4b
- (K): ストロングな ライオンに なる。
- (J): Sutorongu na raion ni naru.
- (E): He becomes a strong lion.
- How to use nominal particle "ya"
- Case 5b
- (K): ライオンや タイガーを みよう。
- (J): Raion ya taigah' 'o miyou.
- (E): Let's see lions, tigers and so on.
"No", "to" and "ka" can be used as noun phrases when they are followed by other particles or copulas.
- How to use nominal particle "no"
- Case 1c
- (K): あれが ライオンのです。
- (J): Are 'ga raion no desu.
- (E): That is lions' possesion.
- How to use nominal particle "to"
- Case 2c
- (K): ライオンと タイガーとを みました。
- (J): Raion to taigah' to 'o mi-mashita.
- (E): I saw both lions and tigers.
- How to use nominal particle "ka"
- Case 3c
- (K): ライオンか タイガーかを みたかったです。
- (J): Raion ka taigah' ka 'o mi-ta-katta desu.
- (E): I wanted to see either lions or tigers.
Normalizers
Nominal paritcles "no", "to" and "ka" have a very interesting feature
besides modifying nouns. It is a normlaizer.
A normalizer means that it changes a sentence into a noun clause,
which can be used like a noun to construct complex sentences.
Generally, "no" changes a sentence into a object represented by the sentence,
"to" changes a sentence into information described by the sentence,
and "ka" changes a sentence into alternation.
"No", "to" and "ka" are roughly correspondent to
"what", "that" and "whether" respectively.
Subordinate clauses do not have polite suffixes in these cases.
- How to use normalizer "no"
- Case 1a
- (K): かれが ライオンを みたのを しりません。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o mita no 'o shiri-mashita.
- (E): I do not know ( the thing / the information ) that he saw a lion.
- Case 1b
- (K): かれが ライオンを みるのが イヴェントです。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o miru no ga ivento desu.
- (E): It is a event that he sees a lion.
- How to use normalizer "to"
- Case 2a
- (K): かれが ライオンを みたと しりません。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o mita to shiri-masen.
- (E): I do not know that he saw a lion.
- Case 2b
- (K): かれが ライオンを みるとの スピーチです。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o mita to no supih'chi desu.
- (E): It is a speech that he sees a lion.
- How to use normalizer "ka"
- Case 3a
- (K): かれが ライオンを みたか しりません。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o mita ka shiri-masen.
- (E): I do not know whether he had seen a lion.
- Case 3b
- (K): かれが ライオンを みるかが クウェスチョンです。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o mita ka ga kuwhesuchion desu.
- (E): It is a question whether he sees a lion.
"Ka" is also used as a question marker, derived from a selection particle and a normalizer.
It can follow polite suffixes in this case.
- How to use question marker "ka"
- Case 1a
- (K): それは ライオンですか (、ライオンで ありませんか)。
- (J): Sore wa raion desu ka (, raion de ari-masen ka)?
- (E): Is it a lion (or not a lion )?
- Case 1b
- (K): かれが ライオンを みましたか (、みなかった ですか)。
- (J): Kare ga raion 'o mi-mashita ka (, mina-katta desu ka)?
- (E): Did he see a lion (or not see a lion)?
"De-no" and "''e-no" are compound nominal particles,
which inherit the meaning of the leading particle and modify nouns.
- How to use compound nominal paricle "de-no"
- Case 1a
- (K): ホテルでの ディナー
- (J): hoteru de-no dinah'
- (E): dinner in a hotel
- Case 1b
- (K): ギターでの パフォーマンス
- (J): gitah' de-no pafoh'mansu
- (E): a perfomance with guitar
- Case 1c
- (K): オイルでの ウォー
- (J): oiru de-no whoh'
- (E): a war by oil
- How to use compound nominal paricle "''e-no"
- Case 2a
- (K): ボストンへの ハイウェイ
- (J): Bosuton ''e-no haiwhei
- (E): a highway to Boston
"Na-no" is the special combination
when the copula "da" is used in subordicate clauses with normalizer "no".
- How to use compound nominal paricle "na-no"
- Case 1a
- (K): それが ライオンなのを しりません。
- (J): Sore ga raion na-no 'o shiri-masen.
- (E): I do not know that it is a lion.
- Case 1b
- (K): それが ライオンなのが ナチュラルです。
- (J): Sore ga raion na-no ga nachuraru desu.
- (E): It is natural that it is a lion.