Meaning
Marks the subject inside a noun-modifying clause.
Formation
- Inside a relative clause が may become の: 母が作った料理 → 母の作った料理
- The ordinary subject inside the clause takes が (or の), not the topic は. A contrastive は is possible in special contexts: 兄は好きだが弟は嫌いな料理 (a dish my older brother likes but my younger brother does not)
When to use it
- Core use
- Marks the subject inside a noun-modifying clause
Examples
14 sentences-
母が作った料理です
This is a dish my mother made.
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私の好きな本です
This is a book I like.
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姉の作ったケーキをみんなで食べました
We all ate the cake my older sister made.
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雨が降る日はバスで学校に行きます
On days when it rains, I go to school by bus.
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母が作ったスープはおいしいです
The soup my mother made is tasty.
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兄の買った自転車は青いです
The bicycle my older brother bought is blue.
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私が読む本は日本語の本です
The books I usually read are in Japanese.
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父の使っているパソコンは古いです
The computer my father uses is old.
6 more examples
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先生が書いた漢字を読んでください
Please read the kanji the teacher wrote.
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姉の撮った写真を見ました
I looked at the photos my older sister took.
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友達が住んでいる町へ行きます
I will go to the town where my friend lives.
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私の知らない言葉があります
There are words I do not know.
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祖父が建てた家は丈夫です
The house my grandfather built is sturdy.
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妹の好きな歌を聞きました
I listened to a song my younger sister likes.
Important notes
- Inside a clause that describes a noun, が can become の: 母が作った料理 → 母の作った料理. In an independent sentence only が works: 雨が多い.
Common mistakes
- Not every の is this substitution: 私の好きな本 comes from 私が好きな本, but 私の本が好き means 'I like my book'. The neutral topic は does not go inside a describing clause.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
Hear it in podcasts
The pattern appears in these episodes. They open in the app with the transcript and translation.
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