particle N5 essential casualpolitewritten
の — the linking particle (A の B)
の
Meaning
- ~'s / of ~ — links two nouns, with the first describing or owning the second (A の B = a B that is A's / related to A)
Key sentence
これは私の本です。
This is my book.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun + Noun | N1 + の + N2 | 日本の車 (a Japanese car) |
Examples
先生の話は面白い。
The teacher's talk is interesting.
possession / belonging
木の机を買った。
I bought a wooden desk.
material / attribute
友達の田中さんに会った。
I met my friend Tanaka.
apposition — の links two names for one person
姉の友達の家に泊まった。
I stayed at my sister's friend's house.
の chains stack
When you can't use it
- Do not use の to link a na-adjective to its noun — na-adjectives take な: 静かな部屋 (a quiet room), never ×静かの部屋. の links noun-to-noun only.
Notes
- の can also stand in for a noun already understood from context: 赤いのが好き = "I like the red one."
See の in real sentences
Jengo shows の the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.