Possessive の
Possessive の — shows possession, affiliation, and noun modification
Can use の for possession and noun modification
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
これは私の本です。
This is my book.
日本語の先生は山田さんです。
The Japanese teacher is Mr. Yamada.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
の — Possessive / Noun Modifier
の connects two nouns. The first noun modifies the second: A の B = A's B / B of A.
| Pattern | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Possession | 私の本 | my book |
| Affiliation | 東京大学の学生 | a student of Tokyo University |
| Description | 日本語の先生 | Japanese (language) teacher |
Pronoun: の can replace a noun when context is clear: 「これは誰の？」「私のです。」(Whose is this? It's mine.)
Confusing word order: 'my book' = 私の本 (not 本の私); Chaining too many の (use は or rephrase)
これは私の本です。
This is my book.
これ(this) + は(topic) + 私(わたし, I/my) + の(possessive) + 本(ほん, book) + です
日本語の先生は山田さんです。
The Japanese teacher is Mr. Yamada.
日本語(Japanese language) + の(modifier) + 先生(せんせい, teacher) — の connects a descriptive noun to another
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises