A の connects and related nouns. To connect a verb or an adjective, the verb and the adjective must be nominalized.
I. Behind a noun:
II. Behind a verb:
- the owner + の + a belonging
わたしの本 my book
- a general location + の + a specific item
京都の大学 a university/universities in Kyoto
- an attribute + の + a general category
日本語の試験 a test on Japanese
- a specific kind + の + a general category
桃の花 plum blossoms
- the creator + の + the creation
ピカソの絵 Pisasso's painting
- color-noun + の + noun
黄色の本 a yellow book
- status + の + person = apposition
大学教授の横山 Yokoyama, a college professor
- (raw) material + の + product
木綿のスカート a cotton skirt
- beneficiary + の + ため = for the sake of
家族のために毎日働いています。I'm working everyday for my family.
- subject of a relative clause + の = subject of the relative clause
古川さんの買った車は中古です。The car Furukawa bought is a used car.
※ In this sentence, 「 古川さんの買った車」is a relative clause which modifies the 車. The main subject of this sentence is the 車.
※ If の is not followed by a noun, as in「わたしのです」, this の may be an indefinite pronoun compounding a particle の and a noun. That is, the original phrase「 私のです」may have been「 私の (+ thing) です」originally.
III. Behind an adjective:
- verb-plain + の: this の nominalizes the verb
小説を書くのは難しい。It's hard to write a novel.
- verb-plain + の + particle: this の replaces a noun
そこにあるのが私の本です。The book over there is mine.
※ This の is a replacement of 本 (thing).
授業が始まるのは九時です。The time the class begins is 9 o'clock.
※ This の is a replacement of 時 or 時間 (time).
あそこにいるのが鈴木さんです。The person over there is Suzuki-san.
※ This の is a replacement of 人 (person).
IV. Behind a copula:
- adjective-plain + の: this の replaces a noun
その大きいのを下さい。Please give me the big one.
※ This の is a replacement of a thing.
- な-adjective + な (<--です)+ の: this の replaces a noun
アイスクリームが好きなのは私です。The thing I like is ice cream.
<--私はアイスクリームが好きです
※の does not occur with the particles は、が、を、も、や、に. But it may follow other particles such as へ、から、まで、と.
父への手紙 a letter to my father
※の may chain together more than one nominal.隣の女の子の犬の名前 the next-door girl's dog's name
※The nominalizing の cannot be used as an independent noun. It must follow a modifying verb or adjective.※の can replace only a noun which is understood between the speaker and the listener.
それ、わたしのです。That's mine.
※の may serve as a sentence-final particle. Go to sentence-final particle no (の) page.