Sunday, October 6, 2019

の Attributive Copula

WIP : this article is incomplete and might change in the unforeseeable future.
In Japanese, the no の particle is sometimes an attributive copula.

Grammar

Essentially, na-adjectives and some no-adjectives, in particular, nouns, work the same way, but one takes the na な attributive copula, while the other takes the no の attributive copula.
  • {kirei na} neko
    綺麗
    A cat [that] {is pretty}.
    A {pretty} cat.
  • {futsuu no} neko
    普通
    A cat [that] {is normal}.
    A {normal} cat.

The distinction above only happens in the attributive. In every other situation, na-adjectives and no-adjectives are conjugated the same.

For example, in the predicative, both kirei and futsuu would take the predicative copula da.
  • kono neko wa kirei da
    この猫は綺麗
    This cat is pretty.
  • kono neko wa futsuu da
    この猫は普通
    This cat is normal.

The negative form and past form of the no の copula is identical to the na な copula.
  • {kirei denai} neko
    綺麗でない
    A cat [that] {is not pretty}.
  • {futsuu denai} neko
    普通でない
    A cat [that] {is not normal}.
  • {kirei datta} neko
    綺麗だった
    A cat [that] {was pretty}.
  • {futsuu datta} neko
    普通だった
    A cat [that] {was normal}.

The te て form is also identical: it's the de で copula.
  • kono neko wa kirei de futsuu da
    この猫は綺麗普通だ
    This cat is pretty and, is normal.
  • kono neko wa futsuu de kirei da
    この猫は普通綺麗だ
    This cat is normal and, is pretty.

The only difference is that, is the attributive, when they come right before a noun, the na-adjective ends in the na な copula, while the no-adjective ends in the no の copula.
  • {futsuu de kirei na} neko
    普通で綺麗
    A cat [that] {is normal and, is pretty}.
  • {kirei de futsuu no} neko
    綺麗で普通
    A cat [that] {is pretty and, is normal}.

Despite all no-adjectives having a no の particle coming after them, not all of them have a no の copula, specifically.

For example, no-adjectives of possession don't have a no の copula. We know this because we can't replace that no の by da だ in the predicative.
  • {watashi no} namae
    名前
    The name {of me}.
    My name.
  • sono namae wa watashi da
    その名前は私
    That name is me. (this doesn't make sense.)

Although the above forms a grammatically correct sentence, the meaning isn't what we want. To say that something is "of someone," the genitive no の must be part of the predicate.
  • sono namae wa {watashi no} da
    その名前は私のだ
    That name is {of me}.
    That name is {mine}.
    • Note: most of the time, no da のだ is used to assert something, and has nothing to do with no-adjectives.
    • nigeru no da!
      逃げるのだ
      Run away!

On the other hand, any time you have a noun plus the da だ copula, you can convert it to noun plus the no の copula.
  • Sasuke wa otouto da
    サスケは弟
    Sasuke is [someone's] little brother.
  • {otouto no} Sasuke
    サスケ
    Sasuke, [who] {is [someone's] little brother}.
    Sasuke, the little brother.
    • This is called an appositive.

The most confusing case for many beginners, I believe, happens to be one of the most basic words in Japanese:
  • otoko no ko
    男の子
    A man's child. (wrong.)
  • {otoko no} ko
    男の子
    A child [who] {is a man}.
    A {male} child.
    A boy. (right.)

The same confusion described above also leads people to misinterpret the homonymous internet slang otoko no ko 男の娘 as "daughter of a man," rather than "{male} girl."

No comments:

Post a Comment

Leave your komento コメント in this posuto ポスト of this burogu ブログ with your questions about Japanese, doubts or whatever!

All comments are moderated and won't show up until approved. Spam, links to illegal websites, and inappropriate content won't be published.