XはYです

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Here are the key points of this lesson: Omission of the subject (Xは) Using 'は' for clarity Nouns in Japanese” Omission of the subject (Xは) In Japanese, sentences often omit subjects when the context makes them clear, unlike in English where subjects like "I" or "it" are typically included.  For example, "I am a student," "My major is Japanese language," and "It is 12:30" translate into Japanese as "がくせいです," "にほんごです," and "12じはんです," respectively, without direct subjects. Using 'は' for clarity If the context doesn't provide clarity, Japanese sentences can start with a topic marked by "wa" (は in hiragana), indicating "As for X, it is Y.” For example,  “わたしは がくせいです" (As for me, I am a student), “せんこうは にほんごです" (As for my major, it is Japanese language), and "じかんは12じはんです" (As for the current time, it is 12:30). The particle "wa" (は), used to denote ...
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13. Can you say “This is a Japanese book“ in Japanese?

 13. N1 no N2 (3) N1 describing content



In Japanese, the structure "N1のN2" is used to describe the content of something.

これは日本語の本です。(Kore wa nihongo no hon desu.) This is a Japanese book.
鈴木さんは日本語の先生です。(Suzuki-san wa nihongo no sensē desu.) Mr Suzuki is a Japanese language teacher.

A: これは何の歌ですか？(Kore wa nan no uta desu ka?) What song is this?
B: これはアニメの歌です。Kore wa anime no uta desu. This is a song from an anime.


The particle "の" (no) connects two nouns. This structure can be used in various situations, not just the examples mentioned above. Here are some more examples:

女の人 (Onna no hito) :  a woman
犬の絵 (Inu no e): a picture of a dog
150円のペン (150 en no pen): a pen that costs 150 yen
タクシーの運転手 (Takushī no untenshu) : a taxi driver
ビニールの袋 (Binīru no fukuro) : a plastic bag
去年のクラス (Kyonen no kurasu): last year's class


To ask about content, you can use "nan no" (何の) or other question words connected with "no":

何の絵 (Nan no e) What picture?
いくらのノート(Ikura no nōto) How much is that notebook?
いつの写真 (Itsu no shashin) When was the picture taken?
何歳の誕生日 (Nansai no tanjōbi) How old are you going to be on your birthday?

Location: Japan

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