の (Nominalizer)

の (Nominalizer) Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Nominalizer

Essential Meaning: That / The fact that / Doing X / That X / ~ing

Construction: 

• (Verb / い-Adjective) informal + の
  • E.g. 話はなすの [That X speaks]
  • E.g. 高たかいの [That X is expensive]

• (な-Adjective stem / Noun) + [な / だった] + の
  • E.g. 静しずかなの [That X is quiet]
  • E.g. 先生せんせいなの [That X is a teacher]

Notes:

• の (Nominalizer) essentially converts an entire sentence into a noun phrase that can be used grammatically any way that a noun can be used. This works similarly to nominalizers in English such as infinitive and gerund verbs.
  • E.g. Nominalized sentence as a subject: 日本語にほんごを教おしえるのは難むずかしい。[Teaching Japanese is difficult.] In this example, “Teaching Japanese” is the subject and “is difficult” is the predicate.
  • E.g. Nominalized sentence as a direct object: 私わたしはクリスがビールを飲のむのを見みた。[I saw that Chris was drinking beer.] In this case, “that Chris was drinking beer” is the direct object of the verb “saw“.

• One restriction to note is that の (Nominalizer) can not appear in position B in the structure A は B だ in order to avoid ambiguity with the expression のだ. Instead, the nominalizer こと should be used in such cases.
  • E.g. *困こまったのはかれが来こられないのだ。 [The trouble is that he can’t come.] In this example, it’s ambiguous whether のだ is an example of the expression のだ or an example of の (Nominalizer) + だ. This is unacceptable.
  • E.g. 困こまったのはかれが来こられないことだ。 [The trouble is that he can’t come.] There is no ambiguity in this example.

• Nominalized sentences are subordinate clauses, so they cannot take the は particle. Generally speaking, the subject of subordinate clause is marked by が.
  • E.g. *僕ぼくは小林こばやしさんはピアノを弾ひいているのを聞きいた。[I listened to Kobayashi-san playing the piano.] The は particle cannot be used to mark the subject of a subordinate clause. Therefore, this sentence is ungrammatical.
  • E.g. 僕ぼくは小林こばやしさんがピアノを弾ひいているのを聞きいた。[I listened to Kobayashi-san playing the piano.]

• The nominalizers の and こと are sometimes interchangeable. However, the general difference between の (Nominalizer) and こと is that の (Nominalizer) is used when the preceding sentence describes something concrete or perceptible, and こと is used when the sentence describes something abstract and imperceptible.
  • E.g. 日本にほんへ行いくこと/ の は簡単かんたんです。[Going to Japan is easy.] の (Nominalizer) and こと are interchangeable in this example.
  • E.g. クラークさんがフランスへ行いくの /ことを知しっていますか。[Do you know that Mr. Clark is going to France?] の (Nominalizer) and こと are interchangeable in this example.
  • E.g. 私わたしは自分じぶんの体からだがふるえているのを感かんじた。[I felt my body trembling.] This example takes の (Nominalizer) because trembling is clearly a directly perceptible event.

• In addition to ordinary uses, certain idiomatic phrases take the こと nominalizer:
  • E.g. ことがある [There are times when]
  • E.g. ことができる [Can do X]
  • E.g. ことになる [It has been decided that]
  • E.g. ことにする [Decide to X]

• The following verbs take の (Nominalizer). They tend to be verbs of perception or concrete action.
  • E.g. 見みる [To see]
  • E.g. 見みえる [To be visible]
  • E.g. 聞きく [To hear]
  • E.g. 聞きこえる [To be audible]
  • E.g. 感かんじる [To feel]
  • E.g. 止とめる [To stop]
  • E.g. 待まつ [To wait]
  • E.g. 見みつける [To discover]
  • E.g. 防ふせぐ [To ward off]

• The following verbs take the nominalizer こと. They tend to be abstract or conceptual verbs.
  • E.g. 期待きたいする [To expect]
  • E.g. 信しんじる [To believe]
  • E.g. すすめる [To advise]
  • E.g. 考かんがえる [To think]
  • E.g. 頼たのむ [To ask]
  • E.g. 命めいじる [To order]
  • E.g. による [Be due to]

• The following verbs can take either こと OR の (Nominalizer). They tend to be ordinary verbs that are neither directly related to perception nor totally abstract and intangible.
  • E.g. 知しる [To know]
  • E.g. 忘わすれる [To forget]
  • E.g. 気きがつく [To notice]
  • E.g. 思おもい出だす [To recall]
  • E.g. 覚おぼえる [To remember]
  • E.g. 認みとめる [To admit]
  • E.g. 避さける[To avoid]
  • E.g. やめる [To quit]
  • E.g. 後悔こうかいする [To regret]
  • E.g. 分わかる [To understand]
  • E.g. 好すきだ [To like]
  • E.g. 嫌きらいだ [To dislike]
  • E.g. 怖こわいだ [Scary]
  • E.g. うれしい [Happy]
  • E.g. 悲かなしい [Sad]
  • E.g. やさしい [Easy]
  • E.g. 難むずかしい [Difficult]

Example Sentences:

日本語にほんごを教おしえるのは難むずかしい。[Teaching Japanese is difficult.]

私わたしは雪子ゆきこさんがビールを飲のむのを見みた。[I saw Yukiko drink beer.]

日本にほんへ行いくのは簡単かんたんです。[Going to Japan is easy.]

私わたしは小林こばやしさんがピアノを弾ひいているのを聞きいた。[I listened to Kobayashi-san playing the piano.]

クラークさんがフランスへ行いくのを知しっていますか。[Do you know that Mr. Clark is going to France?]

WILD Examples:

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