2008 年 1 月 24 日

Modification...

Nouns can be modified by sentences. The predicate of the sentence which modifies a noun is in the plain form. In the case of  な adjective sentences, ~だ becomes ~な. In the case of noun sentences, ~だ  becomes ~の.

• いく 人 a person who goes
• いかない 人 a person who does not go
• パリに いった 人 a person who went to Paris
• いかなかった 人 a person who did not go
• せ が たかくて かみ が くろい 人 a person who is tall and has black hair
• しんせつで げんきな 人 a person who is kind and well
• 18 さいの 人 a person who is 18 years old

Nouns, which are various elements of the sentence, are picked out of it and can be modified by it. When the nouns underlined are modifies, the particles を、 で、and  に attached to them respectively are unnecessary.

Note that when a sentence modifies a noun, the subject of the sentence is indicated by が .

• 私 は せんしゅう えいが を みました。 私 が せんしゅう みた えいが。
• Last week, I watched a film. What I watched last week was a film.
  
• 田中 さん は えき で はたらいて います。 田中 さん が はたらいて いる えき。
• Mr. Tanaka works in the station. The place Mr. Tanaka works is the station.
  
• 私 は あした ともだち に あいます。  私 が あした あう ともだち。
• Tomorrow I'm going to meet my friend. Tomorrow, the person I'm going to meet is my friend.

Verb dictionary form じかん/やくそく/ようじ。。。

When expressing the time for doing some activity, put the dictionary form of the action before じかん. You can also say the content of the arrangement, appointment etc...by putting the dictionary form of that action before やくそく etc...

• 私 は あさごはん を たべる じかん が ありません。
• I don't have time to eat breakfast.