Nominalisation in Japanese: Turn Verbs Into Nouns

Nominalisation: こと and の

Short answer: to use a verb as a noun (“swimming”, “that he came”), put こと or の after its plain form. Often either works: 泳ぐのが好き, 泳ぐことが好き. の is used for things you see, hear or feel happening; こと for abstract ideas, rules and a set of fixed patterns like 行ったことがある, “I have been (there)”. The same の also builds the explanatory ending んです.

こと or の?

Use の with verbs of perception (見る, 聞く, 聞こえる) and for something happening in front of you. Use こと in the fixed patterns below and with です when defining (趣味は…ことです).

Sentence	Meaning	Why this one
kodomo ga asonde iru no o mimashita	I watched the children play	の: something seen
piano o hiku no ga suki desu	I like playing the piano	の or こと
shumi wa shashin o toru koto desu	my hobby is taking photos	こと before です
nihongo o hanasu koto ga dekimasu	I can speak Japanese	こと: fixed pattern
ame ga furu no ga kikoeru	I can hear the rain falling	の: something heard
yakusoku o mamoru koto wa taisetsu desu	keeping promises is important	こと: abstract idea

ことがある: have you ever…?

Past plain form + ことがある means you have had the experience.

富士山ふじさんFujisanMount Fujiにnito登ったのぼったnobottaclimbedことkotoexperienceがga(subject)ありますかarimasu kais there?

Fujisan ni nobotta koto ga arimasu ka. · “Have you ever climbed Mount Fuji?”Past + ことがある.

はいhaiyes一度いちどichidoonceありますarimasuthere is

Hai, ichido arimasu. · “Yes, once.”Short answer with ある.

納豆なっとうnattōnattoをo(object)食べたたべたtabetaateことがkoto gaexperienceないnaithere isn’t

Nattō o tabeta koto ga nai. · “I’ve never eaten natto.”ない: never.

一度いちどichidoonce食べてたべてtabeteeatみてmitetryねne(OK?)

Ichido tabete mite ne. · “You should try it once.”てみる: try doing.

ことにする and ことになる

ことにする: I decided. ことになる: it has been decided (by others, or by circumstances).

ことにする: I decide

ことになる: it’s been decided

のは〜です: what I want to say is…

Move the important part to the end: “the one I like is sushi”.

私わたしwatashiIがga(subject)好きなすきなsuki nalikeのnothe oneはwa(topic)寿司すしsushisushiですdesuis

Watashi ga suki na no wa sushi desu.“What I like is sushi.”Why: The answer comes last, for emphasis.

困っているこまっているkomatte iruam troubledのnothe thingはwa(topic)時間じかんjikantimeですdesuis

Komatte iru no wa jikan desu.“The problem is time.”Why: のは picks out what matters.

もの for general truths and nostalgia

もの after a plain verb states what is natural or what used to happen.

子供こどもkodomochildrenはwa(topic)よくyokuoften泣くなくnakucryものmonoit is naturalですdesuis

Kodomo wa yoku naku mono desu.“Children cry a lot; that’s how they are.”Why: もの: a general truth.

昔むかしmukashilong agoよくyokuoftenここkokohereでdeat遊んだあそんだasondaplayedものだmono da(nostalgia)

Mukashi yoku koko de asonda mono da.“We used to play here a lot.”Why: た + ものだ: fond memory.

人ひとhitopeopleのno’s物ものmonothingsをo(object)取るとるtorutakeものmonoshouldじゃないja nainot

Hito no mono o toru mono ja nai.“You mustn’t take other people’s things.”Why: ものじゃない: what one should not do.

わけ: reason and conclusion

わけ means the reason or logical conclusion. It appears in several fixed patterns.

Pattern	Meaning	Use
dakara nemui wake da	no wonder I’m sleepy	conclusion
kirai na wake ja nai	it’s not that I dislike it	partial denial
iku wake ni wa ikanai	I can’t very well go	social impossibility
sonna wake nai	no way	flat denial

ところ: the point in an action

ところ after a verb shows where you are in an action: about to, in the middle of, just done.

Check yourself

Try each one, then open the answer to check and hear it.

My hobby is swimming.
Show answer
Shumi wa oyogu koto desu.こと before です.
I saw the children playing.
Show answer
Kodomo ga asonde iru no o mimashita.の with perception verbs.
Have you ever been to Japan?
Show answer
Nihon ni itta koto ga arimasu ka.
I’ve decided to study abroad.
Show answer
Ryūgaku suru koto ni shimashita.
I’ve got a headache, you see.
Show answer
Atama ga itai n desu.Explanatory んです.

The explanatory のです / んです

Adding んです (spoken) or のです (written) presents a sentence as an explanation or asks for one. It sounds warmer and more involved than a bare statement.

どうしたdō shitawhat happenedんですかn desu ka(asking for the story)

Dō shita n desu ka.“What’s wrong?”Why: んですか invites an explanation; plain どうしましたか sounds more clinical.

頭あたまatamaheadがga(subject)痛いいたいitaihurtsんですn desu(you see)

Atama ga itai n desu.“I’ve got a headache, you see.”Why: Explains why you look unwell.

実はじつはjitsu waactually来月らいげつraigetsunext month結婚するけっこんするkekkon surumarryんですn desu(I’m telling you)

Jitsu wa raigetsu kekkon suru n desu.“Actually, I’m getting married next month.”Why: んです for news you are sharing.