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Modifying Nouns

Nouns may be modified in various ways. However as there are no relative pronouns for constructing relative clauses, the relative clause ending with the plain form of the verb comes before the word it modifies.

はるこは目が奇麗です。
Haruko wa me ga kirei desu.
Haruko has beautiful eyes.

はるこは御主人が医者です。
Haruko wa goshujin ga isha desu.
Haruko's husband is a medical doctor.

はるこはお腹がすきました。
Haruko wa onaka ga sukimashita.
Haruko was hungry.

はるこは英語ができます。
Haruko wa eigo ga dekimasu.
Haruko knows English. (Haruko is good at English.)

私は目が奇麗なはるこを見ます。
Watashi wa me ga kireina Haruko o mimasu.
I am looking at Haruko with the beautiful eyes.

あの人は御主人が医者のはるこです。
Ano hito wa goshujin ga isha no Haruko desu.
That person over there is Haruko whose husband is a medical doctor.

あの人はお腹がすいたはるこです。
Ano hito wa onaka ga suita Haruko desu.
That person over there is Haruko who is hungry.

あの人は英語ができるはるこです。
Ano hito wa eigo ga dekiru Haruko desu.
That person over there is Haruko who can speak English.

Credit

This page is a part of "Some Notes on Japanese Grammar" published for your personal use, with the kind permission of Keith Smillie (http://www.cs.ualberta.ca/~smillie/)