Learn the difference between KOTO and NO
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| Hi everybody! Hiroko here. Welcome to Ask a Teacher, where Iโll answer some of your most common Japanese questions. |
| The question for this lesson is...How do I use the nominalizers ใฎ (no) and ใใจ (koto) correctly? |
| Both ใฎ (no) and ใใจ (koto) are nominalizers. That means they can turn other parts of speech into nouns. In many cases, you can use them interchangeably, for example -- |
| ใใใใฎใใใใงใใ(Oyogu no ga suki desu.) |
| ใใใใใจใใใใงใใ(Oyogu koto ga suki desu.) |
| Both sentences mean โI like to swim,โ and both are considered grammatically correct. So, how do you know when to use which one? |
| Letโs go over the rules so you can learn how to use ใฎ (no) and ใใจ (koto) correctly. |
| Here are the cases where you need to use ใใจ (koto) instead of ใฎ (no)-- |
| One, if the sentence ends with ใงใ(desu), ใ (da) or ใงใใ(de aru), you have to use ใใจ (koto). An example is, |
| ไปๅนดใฎ็ฎๆจใฏใ่ฉฆ้จใซๅๆ ผใใใใจใงใใ (Kotoshi no mokuhyล wa, shiken ni gลkaku suru koto desu.) |
| This means โMy target of this year is to pass the exam.โ Here, the sentence ends with ใงใ(desu), so you need to use ใใจ(koto). |
| Do you remember the sentence ending phrase ใฎใงใ(no desu)? You can use it to explain the reason or background of a situation, as in, ้ป่ปใ้ ใใใฎใงใใ(Densha ga okureta no desu.) which means, โItโs because the train was delayed.โ So, when you use the nominalizer before ใงใ (desu), you need to use ใใจ(koto) instead of ใฎ (no). |
| Two, you need to use ใใจ(koto) if itโs before fixed phrases such as routines, rules, or experiences, such as ใใจใซใใ (koto ni suru) meaning โto make it a rule to do somethingโ or ใใจใใใ (koto ga aru) meaning โto have ever done somethingโ. You also use it before certain verbs such as ใใจใๅฏ่ฝใ (koto ga kanล da) meaning โto be possible to,โ ใใจใๅฟ ่ฆใ (koto ga hitsuyล da) meaning โto need toโ and ใใจใซๆฑบใใ (koto ni kimeru) meaning โto decide to.โ |
| Here is a situation where you need to use ใฎ (no) instead of ใใจ (koto)-- |
| One, youโll need to use ใฎ (no) for verbs that talk about perception like ่ฆใใป่ฆใใ (miru/mieru) meaning โto seeโ or ่ใใป่ใใใ (kiku/kikoeru) โto hear.โ Thatโs because the original meaning of ใใจ (koto) is โthingโ so itโs not appropriate to use when expressing perception. |
| For example, |
| ๅ้ใ่ฉฑใใฆใใใฎใ่ใใใพใใใ(Tomodachi ga hanashiteiru no ga kikoemashita.) |
| Meaning โI heard my friends talking.โ Here, youโre perceiving what you heard, and itโs not related to an object, so you need to use ใฎ (no). |
| How was this lesson? If itโs still a little confusing, make sure to check out JapanesePod101.com for more practice! |
| Do you have any more questions? Leave them in the comments below and Iโll try to answer them! |
| ใพใใญ๏ผ[mata ne!] See you! |
Comments
HideWhat Japanese learning question do you have?
Sใใใใ่ณชๅใใใใจใใใใใพใ๏ผ("Thank you for your question, S-san!")
In fact, you cannot use ใใฎใ directly with ใใใงใใพใใ to express ability. Instead, you should use ใใใ directly after a noun to say that you can do something.
For example, the correct structure to say you can do something specific, like speak a language or play an instrument, is:
ใใใขใใใงใใพใใใ("I can play the piano.")
This uses the structure [Noun] + ใ + ใงใใพใ, and is a standard way to express ability in Japanese.
ใใใใจใใใใใพใ๏ผ
Kazuya
Team JapanesePod101.com
Can you use no with (ga) dekimasu?
Alexanderใใ
ใใใซใกใฏ๏ผ
Thank you for your comment.
We use ใฎ when verbs that talk about perception, like ่ฆใ and ่ใ follows after the nominalizer.
ใใจ has its original meaning "thing" and it is not appropriate for the verbs that express perception.
โ ๅใ ใกใๆญฉใใฆใใใฎใ่ฆใใ
ร ๅใ ใกใๆญฉใใฆใใใใจใ่ฆใใ
It doesnโt depend on the preceding verb whether you should use ใฎ or ใใจ๐
Please let us know if you have any further question:)
Sincerely,
Miho
Team JapanesePod101.com
Hello!
Linguistically speaking, is it correct to suppose that ใฎ expresses realis, and ใใจ expresses irrealis (in the preceding verb)?
Hi Nancie Collins,
Thank you for your comment!
Yes, this sentence is correct๐
้ป่ปใ้ ใใใฎใงใใ(It's because the train was delayed.)
However, we cannot add ใใจ to nominalize it.
It should be just ้ป่ปใ้ ใใใใจใงใใ
It means it's (about the fact that) the train was delayed.
Please let us know if you have any further question:)
Sincerely,
Miho
Team JapanesePod101.com
So the ใฎ in ใฎใงใ/ใฎใ isnt a nominalizer.
so does that mean the sentence below is correct?
้ป่ปใ้ ใใใฎใงใใ
Densha ga okureta no desu.
"It's because the train was delayed."
and u can add ใใจ to the same sentence to nominalize it?
้ป่ปใ้ ใใใฎใใจใงใใ
Hi Holt Sievers,
Thank you for your question!
As Michael says, it means "desu" at the end of a sentence, following a nominalizer.
In that case, the nominalizer should be "koto", not "no"โบ๏ธ
Hi Michael,
Thank you for your comment!
Your answer to Holt Sievers is perfect and really easy to understand๐
Hope you enjoy learning Japanese with us:)
Sincerely,
Miho
Team JapanesePod101.com
Holt Sievers:
"You said to use koto if the sentence ends with desu, but you contradicted that in your first example. "Oyogu no ga suki desu""
You're correct, that's a mistake in the article's wording - the article means that if you want to nominalise an action and IMMEDIATELY end the sentence with 'ใงใ'ใlike in:
ใไปๅนดใฎ็ฎๆจใฏใ่ฉฆ้จใซๅๆ ผใใ `ใใจ` ใงใใใ
always use 'ใใจ' otherwise it would come out:
ใไปๅนดใฎ็ฎๆจใฏใ่ฉฆ้จใซๅๆ ผใใ `ใฎ` ใงใใใ
('My target of this year is BECAUSE pass the exam', which doesn't make sense)
ใใใใ `ใฎ` ใใใใงใใ and ใใใใ `ใใจ` ใใใใงใใ
can both be used because ใใฎใใใใงใใ and ใใใจใใใใงใใ are valid preference nominaliser patterns.
Hope that makes sense!
You said to use koto if the sentence ends with desu, but you contradicted that in your first example. "Oyogu no ga suki desu"
Hi Boh,
Thank you for your comment!
Sorry for the confusion.
The ใฎ in the example ้ป่ปใ้ ใใใฎใงใใ(Densha ga okureta no desu.) is not a nominalizer, and that's why it can be used with ใงใ. It's just a comparison to ใใจใงใ, as a nominalizer.
Thank you for studying with us!
Sincerely,
Miho
Team JapanesePod101.com
Hi Phil,
Thank you for posting!
We are glad to know that this lesson was helpful for you.
If you have any question, please feel free to let us know.
Sincerely,
Miho
Team JapanesePod101.com
I'm confused.
"Do you remember the sentence ending phrase ใฎใงใ(no desu)? You can use it to explain the reason or background of a situation, as in, ้ป่ปใ้ ใใใฎใงใใ(Densha ga okureta no desu.) which means, โItโs because the train was delayed.โ So, when you use the nominalizer before ใงใ (desu), you need to use ใใจ(koto) instead of ใฎ (no)."
In this example, isn't ใฎ being used?
good info
Unagiใใ
ใใใซใกใฏใ
ใฉใใใใใพใใฆใ:smile:
Yuki ็ฑ็ด
Team JapanesePod101.com
็ฑ็ดๅ ็ใ
ใชใผใใปใฉใใ่ฟไบใใใใจใใใใใพใใ๏ผ
Unagi san,
ใใใซใกใฏใ
ใใฎใใฏๅไบบ็ใชใใจใซไฝฟใใใจใๅคใใใใใจใใฏไธ่ฌ็ใชใใจใซไฝฟใใใใใจใๅคใใงใใ
ใงใใใใๆใPersonalใใฉใใใ่ใใใจใใใจๆใใพใใ
ใใใใใใฏใใฎๆใ ใใงใฏ่ๆฏใฏๅใใใพใใใใใใฎใใใใใจใใไฝฟใใพใใ
ใๅคขใใฏใใใใใฎSpeaker or writerใฎๅไบบ็ใชใใจใชใใใฎใใไฝฟใในใใงใใ
ใไธ่ฌ็ใใฏใใใจใใไฝฟใฃใใปใใ่ฏใใงใใ
ใไธญๆญขใใฎๆใฏใไธญๆญขใใKeywordใงใฏใชใใใใฎๅ ๅฎนใKeyใงใใๅฑฑ้ใฎไบใฏๅไบบ็ใชๅ้กใงใฏใใใพใใใใใใฎๅ ดๅใใใจใใ่ฏใใงใใใใ
:smile:
Yuki ็ฑ็ด
Team JapanesePod101.com
ใฒใใๅ ็ใ
ใใคใๅใใใใใ้ข็ฝใ่ชฌๆใใใใใจใใใใใพใใไปๅใฎใใผใใซ้ขใใ็ๅใ่ฒใ ใใใพใใใ่ใใฆใใใใใใงใใใใใใจใใจใใฎใใฎ้ใใใชใใจใชใๅใใใพใใใใใใคใ่ฟทใ่จ่ใใใใคใใใใพใใไพใใฐใ
ใใใ
ใใๆฏๆฉ้ ใใพใง้ใถใฎใใใใฆใใ ใใใ
ใใๆฏๆฉ้ ใใพใง้ใถใใจใใใใฆใใ ใใใ
ๅคข
ใใๆๅใชไฟณๅชใซใชใใฎใๅคขใงใใ
ใใๆๅใชไฟณๅชใซใชใใใจใๅคขใงใใ
ไธ่ฌ็
ใใๅค็ฅญใใซใฏๆตด่กฃใ็ใฆ่กใใฎใไธ่ฌ็ใงใใ
ใใๅค็ฅญใใซใฏๆตด่กฃใ็ใฆ่กใใใจใไธ่ฌ็ใงใใ
ไธญๆญข
ใใๅคฉๆฐใใใใชใใพใงใใใฎๅฑฑ้ใๆญฉใใฎใไธญๆญขใซใชใฃใฆใใพใใ
ใใๅคฉๆฐใใใใชใใพใงใใใฎๅฑฑ้ใๆญฉใใใจใไธญๆญขใซใชใฃใฆใใพใใ
ใใ
ไธ่จใฎๅ ดๅใใฉใกใใๆญฃใใใงใใใใใฎใ๏ผใใใจใใใไฝฟใใชใไพๆใใใใพใใใ
ใ่ฟไบใใใใใใ้กใใใใใพใใ