諺
Sentences, clauases and modifiers in Japanese grammar
2023-10-22 / modified at 2025-10-04 / 2k words / 11 mins

Learning sentences and clauses is foundamental to parse complex syntax tree in Japanese, this title describles the comprehensive classification in Japanese.

Translation used

Base on “国語”: 主語・述語・修飾語・接続語・独立語

  • 語/句: phrase, which may not be clearly mapped into English grammar, depending on the context.

  • 節: Clause

  • 主体: Main topic, functioning grammatically as a noun, encompassing both single noun and noun clauses. such as “鳥が鳴く”, the bird in the sentence servers as the main topic.

  • 主語hogo: Subject, which primarily consists of a noun and mainly a particle(は・が・より), such as “鳥が鳴く”. It has an additional particle while the subject in English doesn’t.

  • 主節: Main clauses, or Independent clause. Same as English.

  • 従属節: Dependent clause, or subordinate clause. Same as English.

  • 補足節: Nominalized cluase that can’t be tranlated as “Dependent clause” in Google.

    • 名詞節: Noun clause which functions as noun(名詞化した節). Same as English.

  • 文節: clause/setsu, 節は語が情報を加えられることで述語を伴ったものだと考えられる[1].

Syntax/文

The Japanaese grammar will be classified in following way, the modifier and Clause will be detailed elaborated in this article.

$2GrammarPart of SpeechInflectionModifierClauseConjunctive elaboration

Modifier/修飾

修飾syuusyoku: The modifiler modifies the meaning of the next words/sentences to emphasis or provide contextual information, such as “I’m very happy”.

修飾の分類/Categorize of modifier

In this category, we classify the modifier in English way, which is far wider than “学校文法”.

$2修飾の分類Modifier連体修飾Modify on nominalsAttributive modifier働き方Structurefunc_連体形(V/ADJ)+N連体詞/名詞+[N]eg:街を歩いてる人連用修飾Modify on adverbialsContinuative modifier(complement)働き方StructureADV+[V/ADJ/ADV]func_連用形(V/ADJ)+[V/ADJ/ADV]func_連用形(V/ADJ)+[Particle]eg: 気温がずいぶん高いDerivativesInto Noun連体名詞化Into Adverbial文全体修飾
  • 連体rentai(を)修飾: Aka 名詞(を)修飾, attributive modifier, the adjectival phrase that only connects with 体言 (noun, including formal noun), turning a non-adjective into an adjective. Similar to relative clause in English but diffs in an overt pronoun (that/which/who) element.
  • 連用renyoo(を)修飾: Aka 副詞修飾, continuative modifier, the adverbial phrase that only connects with 用言 (i-adj, na-adj, and verb) and adverbs (副詞), providing additional information such as time, space, and causation. Similar to adverbial clause in English.

Attributive modifier

$2Attributive連体修飾連体形Attributive Formattributive form of verb動詞連体形活用太陽を盗んだ男街を歩いてる人昨日見た映画掃除した部屋Cleaned roomattributive form of na-adjectives名•形動連体形活用きれいな女生意気なヤツimpertinent personattributive form of i-adjectiveイ形容詞連体形活用白い雪やばい空気Awkward predicamentDemonstrative連体詞による活用がないその本/この本あらゆる時代every eraNoun phrases名詞で修飾NのN名詞+の私の本My bookNとV+N名詞+と動詞+名詞NというNcalledNと呼ばれたNnamed

Continuative modifier

Usecase

  • 条件節: conditional clause, which is not the same as English.
  • 順接条件節: aka 順接条件節
  • 仮定: base on hypothetical situation.
  • 事実: based on facts
  • 逆接: a outcome despite an action
  • 順接: when one action is required for another to occur.

I believe it can’t be categorized in a unified way, as they are nearly all grammars from N3 to N1. The key to understand the continuative modifer is to remember at least one sentence for each grammar.

$2連用修飾Continuative条件Condition仮定Hypothesisja_JP順接Requirement順接仮定条件節if true, then true逆接Contrast逆接仮定条件節even if true, an outcome won't occuren_USZero ConditionalCommon Senseば人は殺されれば死ぬpeople die if they are killed不法投棄すれば法律違反になるBreak the law if illegal disposal終止形+とお酒を飲むと、顔が赤くなるFace gets red when drink wine急がないと、遅刻するWe will be late if not go quickly。Conditional Ias long as次第(しだい)Conditional II/IIISubjectiveConcessionもし僕が君だったら、それは決してしないだろうなとしてもでもたとえ両親が反対しても私は行く。からしていくら~ても事実Facts逆接Contrast逆接事実条件節Concessive(Mainly N2)天気がいいのに、散歩しませんからと言ってIt's said butさい順接Requirement原因・理由節Reason天気がいいから、散歩します[N2]た上で我の名を知った上でまだ抗うか?時間Time6.165前後関係SequentialまえPreviouslyまで/直前にあとSubsequentlyてから/て以来/て以降同時同時動作・同時変化Concurrently時(とき)/際/折/ころ反復を表すAny time or every timeたび(たびに)，ごとに.につけ，など期間 Up to a certain timeあいだ/うち/最中/まに目的Purpose6.233ため(為)によう(様)に様態Stative比喩metaphor「ように」「ごとく」「様子で」「さまで「みたいに」ごとく「げに」程度や限度「ほど」「くらい(に)」「だけ」「ばかりに」「限り付帯状況ながら」「つつ」

Clause

単文

$2Simple sentencesindependent clauses単文/主節Structure主語Suject主題Topic名詞などNoun etc.格助詞Particleは/が/から...述語(predicate)verbadjnoun + (終助)述語化Example冬木市の冬は寒い彼が読んでいるI'm reading私から見ればFrom my view独立語はい/あら/いや...

Sometimes, when subject is yourself, especially when you’re doing or thinking, the subject can be omitted.

1
2
- 私がご飯を食べる.
+ ご飯を食べる.

複文/Complex sentences

The complex sentences can be a long sentence in an article or conversation.

The full definition.

$2ComplexSentences複文主節 Main ClauseIndependent clause従属節Dependent ClauseSubordinate clause6.14補足節Complement ClauseFunction asnoun名詞節Noun clausethat-clausewh-clauseStructure:[S]こと/ものeg:彼が来ることは知らなかったI didn't knowthathe will come.引用節QuotationalclauseStructure[S]という[N]という+形式動詞~のは~ことだ~ものだと思う/考えた私が彼が行くと聞いた疑問節Reported Questionswhether/if-clause止めるかどうかを決められるのは僕だけだOthersin/on/atにここには冷たいIn there is cold.見られたからには殺すだけだ連体修飾節Attributive clauseFunction asadjeg:昨日見た映画が炎上です連用修飾節Function asadveg:皆さまに元気でいただけるように頑張ります

Besides the nested structure, there are also conjunctive structures, especially for contrast (逆接) can be used for both structures

  • 連用修飾節的複文
  • 文と文をつなぐ複文

There are some particles can be both 接続詞(Conjunction) and 接続助詞(conjunction particle): のに/けれども／けれど/でも／だけど/にもかかわらず

Both structures are acceptable

1
2
- 忙しいけれど（、）漫画を読んでしまう
+ 忙しかった。けれど、漫画を読んでしまった。

重文

$2Compound Sentences 重文等位節·並列節Via 接続語Conjunction活用がないしかし/Howeverそれとも/orそれともわ・た・し?さらに/moreover

Hint

Condition and contrast sentences can be considered both subordinating and sentences in English

Who can function as noun?

Nominal:「主語」や「補語」の役割をする

Atomic nouns

The following nouns are nouns that you can search in dictionaries.

$2Atomic nounNormal noun普通名詞dog/cat固有名詞koyuumeishiJapan/ipodna-adjectives名•形動e.g. 元気suru-verbスル動詞勉強するEndng form of adjectives形容詞の終止形高さ

Complement clause/補足節

Nominals are phrases that function as nouns (topic in subject, or predicate).

In English, we only use relative clauses, phrases, or participle phrases to enrich or create nouns. Japanese grammars resemble English in grammatically structure, but diff in an overt pronoun (that/which/who) element. The diagram (複文 - 従属節 - 補足節) above outlines the major types of nominalization process in Japanese.

Appendix

という/called

It is classified as a phrase in Japanese dictionaries, 格助詞「と」＋動詞「いう」, which can form a diverstiy of grammatical elements.

  1. Form an attributive modifier (連体修飾) [2], which has similarity with the adjectival prepositional phrase in English that functions as an adjective.

光の御子という騎士: The knight (who is) called son of light
言峰という名の神父, The priest (who is) called Kotomine.
魔術というの: The one (who is) called magic.
というわけだ: reason
というものだ: definition

  1. Form a quotational clause (引用節) , similar to “the fact that [Sentence]” in English

鈴木部長が社長の親戚であるというのは有名な話だ。-- 現代日本語文法6
The fact that director suzuki is relative to the boss is widely known.
広い公園だというのに人気がないのは、何か理由でもあるのか?
Is there any reason why despite the fact that the park is large but not popular?

  1. Form continuative modifier (連用修飾 N3)

四年前、慎二から紹介された時はまだ少女というより女の子の趣が強かった桜
Sakura, who has been more like a young lady rather than a child since 4 years ago introduced by shinji.

Summary

Tbd

  1. 修飾要素の必要性による節の分類 ↩

  2. 連体修飾構造における「という」の機能と介在性 ↩