N4 · Unit 7
Lesson 25Describe a person or thing with a clause
Place a familiar short clause before a noun to identify the exact person or thing.
What you learn
Place a familiar short clause before a noun to identify the exact person or thing.
Learning points
- Clause-modified nouns
- Past actions modifying nouns
- Adjectives modifying nouns
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
普通形 + 名詞 ・ 動詞た + 名詞 ・ い形容詞 + 名詞 ・ な形容詞 + な + 名詞Beginner explanation
Place a plain clause directly before a noun to identify a specific person or thing. Do not add です inside the modifying clause, and its subject often takes が. Use the た-form for a past action and keep な before a noun after a na-adjective.
Understand these sentences first
- これは 昨日 買った 本です。kore wa kinō katta hon desu
This is the book I bought yesterday.
- あそこで 話している 人は 先生です。asoko de hanashite iru hito wa sensei desu
The person talking over there is a teacher.
- 駅の 近くに ある カフェへ 行きます。eki no chikaku ni aru kafe e ikimasu
I am going to the café near the station.
- 私は 静かな 町が 好きです。watashi wa shizuka na machi ga suki desu
I like quiet towns.
Core vocabulary
- 買いますかいますbuy
- 話しますはなしますspeak
- 着ますきますwear
- 近くちかくnearby
- 資料しりょうmaterial
- 眼鏡めがねglasses
- コートコートcoat
- 人ひとperson
Grammar, one point at a time
Plain verb clause + noun means the noun that does or receives the action
普通形 + 名詞Use plain form before the noun, never です／ます. The dictionary form handles present or future meaning, the ta-form commonly marks a completed action, and the nai-form marks negation. Japanese needs no English-style that or who and no の between the clause and noun.
Examples
- 明日 会議で 使う 資料material to use at tomorrow's meeting
- 昨日 泊まった ホテルthe hotel where I stayed yesterday
- まだ 読んでいない 本a book I have not read yet
The subject inside a noun-modifying clause normally takes が
Nが + 普通形 + 名詞The outer topic can still take は, while the inner subject takes が: これは父が買ったカメラです. Using は for the inner subject normally introduces topic or contrast and is not the beginner default.
Examples
- 私が 乗る 飛行機the plane I will take
- 友達が 作った 料理food my friend made
- 先生が 知らない ニュースnews the teacher does not know
A noun phrase containing a relative clause can serve as the whole subject
[小句 + 名詞] は／が + 述語First find the head noun, then determine the role of the whole phrase in the outer sentence. A long modifier does not change the outer particle after the head noun.
Examples
- 私が 明日 乗る 飛行機は 午前便です。The plane I take tomorrow is a morning flight.
- 友達が 作る 料理は おいしいです。The food my friend cooks is delicious.
A modified noun phrase can also take を, に, から, and other particles
[小句 + 名詞] + を／に／からPlace the outer particle after the head noun: 中国で買ったCDを, 海外へ転勤した友達に, and 知らない人から. Do not move the outer particle into the modifying clause.
Examples
- 旅行で 撮った 写真を 見ました。I viewed photos taken on the trip.
- 海外で 働く 友達に 手紙を 書きます。I will write to a friend working overseas.
- 知らない 人から メールが 来ました。An email came from someone I do not know.
I-adjectives, na-adjectives, and nouns modify nouns differently
Aい + N／Aな + N／Nの + NAn i-adjective attaches directly, a na-adjective takes な, and a noun takes の. Do not translate every Chinese 的 as の, and avoid forms such as 簡単のパソコン or 日本製なカメラ.
Examples
- 入口が 広い 建物a building with a wide entrance
- 操作が 簡単な パソコンan easy-to-use computer
- 数学が 専門の 先生a teacher whose specialty is mathematics
Several modifiers can stack before one head noun; parse backward from the noun
[时间／主语／地点／动作／性质] + 名詞Japanese can place much information before a noun. In reading, identify the final head noun, then unpack who, when, where, what happened, and what quality it has. In writing, split an overly long modifier into two sentences when clarity suffers.
Examples
- 昨日 父が デパートで 買った 日本製の カメラthe Japanese-made camera my father bought at a department store yesterday
- 駅の 前に ある 小さくて 静かな ホテルthe small quiet hotel in front of the station
Expressions and situations
Do not insert の between a relative clause and its head noun
泊まったホテル and 読む本 connect directly. Use の for noun-to-noun modification such as 日本の会社.
- 昨日 泊まった ホテルthe hotel stayed at yesterday
- 日本の ホテルa Japanese hotel
Nのところ can mean the place, side, or section associated with a person or thing
窓のところ means by the window, while 部長のところへ行く means go to the manager's place. It does not replace every location word; context determines the location.
- 受付の ところで 待ってください。Please wait by reception.
- 担当者の ところへ 行きます。I will go to the person in charge.
Using これ／あれ directly for people is low in politeness; prefer この方／あの方 or a name
Textbook-style あれは受付の人 fits limited contexts such as when the person cannot hear. Calling someone あれ in their presence can be rude. Introduce colleagues by name, role, or こちら.
- あの 方は どなたですか。Who is that person?
- こちらは 営業部の 佐藤さんです。This is Sato from Sales.
〜でしたね confirms information once known but now uncertain
It differs from a first-time question. 会議は3時からでしたね confirms prior knowledge; if you do not know, ask 会議は何時からですか. It often combines with たしか.
- 今日の 会議は たしか 3時からでしたね。Today's meeting was at three, wasn't it?
- ホテルは どこですか。Where is the hotel?
大きな and 小さな only appear before nouns and cannot be predicates
Both 大きい建物 and 大きな建物 are valid. As a predicate, use 建物は大きい, never 建物は大きな. Most other i-adjectives have no parallel form.
- 大きな 白い 建物a large white building
- その 建物は 大きい。That building is large.
このあたり means this area; place + のあたり means around that place
The radius is not fixed and depends on context. 駅のあたり and このあたり are vaguer than an exact location and cannot replace an address when precision is needed.
- この あたりは よく 渋滞します。This area often has traffic jams.
- 駅の あたりで 会いましょう。Let's meet around the station.
Position words distinguish surfaces, vicinity, interior, opposite sides, and corners
上 and 下 may express relative position or a surface. そば and 近く mean nearby, 中 means inside, 向かい means directly opposite, and 隅 means a corner. Real directions should name the reference point.
- 机の 上on the desk
- 駅の 向かいopposite the station
- 部屋の 隅the corner of the room
The textbook's 2004 expressway counts and traffic rankings are historical context
Use current transport-ministry and operator information for routes, tolls, congestion, SA or PA locations, and facilities. The learning value lies in 高速道路, 交通量, 渋滞, 上り, 下り, SA, and PA.
- 高速道路は 区間に よって 料金が 違います。Expressway tolls differ by section.
SA and PA are classified by services and spacing, not simply large and small
Japan's transport ministry explains that an SA generally adds shops, dining, and fuel to parking and toilets, while a PA generally centres on parking and toilets and may include shops. Actual facilities vary substantially by location.
- 次の SAで 休みましょう。Let's rest at the next service area.
- この PAに 充電設備が あるか 確かめます。I will check whether this PA has charging facilities.
What you should be able to do
- Put present, past, negative, and progressive verb forms before nouns, removing incorrect です／ます and の.
- Use が for the inner subject in ten relative clauses and identify the outer topic or subject.
- Attach は, が, を, に, から, and で to long noun phrases and check particle placement.
- Distinguish Aい + N, Aな + N, and Nの + N, then parse two stacked modifiers.
- Choose この方, 〜でしたね, 〜のところ, and 〜あたり for introductions, prior-information confirmation, and approximate locations.
- Complete an original airport-transfer route: identify a destination building, explain expressway conditions, and look up that day's SA or PA and traffic information.
Culture and real use
Expressway information changes: learn to read SA, PA, and current conditions
The textbook's 2004 expressway counts, average traffic, and rankings are historical and cannot answer today's route or congestion questions. Japan's transport ministry explains that SA and PA are classified by service content and spacing: an SA generally adds shops, dining, and fuel to parking and toilets, while a PA usually centres on parking and toilets and may add shops, although actual facilities vary widely. Current NEXCO pages support searches by route, name, and facility and list charging, accessibility, lodging, showers, smart interchanges, and other services. Travellers should check live traffic, tolls, vehicle conditions, and the exact facility page.
- 次の SAに 充電設備が あるか 調べます。I will check whether the next SA has charging facilities.
- この あたりは 渋滞していると 思います。I think this area is congested.
- 今日 通る 高速道路の 情報を 確認します。I will check information for the expressway used today.