Saturday, July 28, 2012

Japanese Basics: About "no"

3) About "no"
3a) Grammar for [noun A] [noun B] 
Can be translated in 3 different ways. Usually 2/3 sound good, but it depends on the nouns being combined.
1. Squish [noun A] together with [noun B] (so seems "invisible"): Moonlight (sounds to-the-point)
2. Translate の as 's to show that [noun A] possesses/owns [noun B]: Moon's light (sounds awkward)
3. Translate の as [noun B] of (a/the) [noun A]: Light of the moon (sounds poetic)

3b) Translating "anata no [noun]"
1. you name (sounds really wrong)
2. you's name (sounds awkward, so...)--> your name (sounds just right!)
3. (the) name of you (sounds weird)

3c) About "[noun] no naka"
Together, [noun] no naka can be translated to things like "inside, within, in"

(Comparing what was just learned above about how "no" works:)
1. Squish [noun A] together with [noun B] (so の seems "invisible"): deep sleep inside (sounds really wrong)
2. Translate の as 's to show that [noun A] possesses/owns [noun B]: deep sleep's inside (sounds weird)
3. Translate の as [noun B] of (a/the) [noun A]: inside of a deep sleep (sounds just right!)

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