Japanese Sentence and Clause Structure

The Basics

Simple Sentences

• A simple sentence contains only one clause.
• Purpose: State a "thing" to talk about and provide information about that "thing."
• English requires both subject and predicate; Japanese does not always require a subject.

Essential Clause Elements

• Predicate: The "info about the thing" in Japanese sentences.
  • Can be a noun, -adjective, -adjective, or verb.
  • Essential for forming a complete sentence in Japanese.

Nonessential Clause Elements

• Used to add information and complexity.
  • Object: Acted upon by a transitive verb, marked by particle を (wo).
  • Subject: Typically marked by particle が (ga).
  • Topic: Marked by particle は (wa); remains constant until changed.
  • Adverbials: Provide context (e.g., when, where), often marked by particles に (ni) and で (de).
  • Sentence Final Particles: Add nuance, such as explanatory (の), conversational (よ), or agreement (ね).

Sentence Order

• Japanese is an SOV language (Subject, Object, Verb), English is SVO.
• Order can be changed due to particles marking functions, unlike in English.

Beyond the Basics

Complex Sentences

• Contain multiple clauses.
  • Linked Clauses: Clauses attached with particles or conjugation.
  • Embedded Clauses: Clauses embedded inside others, often through quotation or noun modification.

Linked Clauses

• Conjunctive Particles: Connect clauses, e.g., から (kara), which indicates reason.
• Conjugation: Changes word structure to link clauses, e.g., -い adjectives to -て form.

Embedded Clauses

• Quotation: Embeds a clause as a quote within another clause.
  • Direct quotes can use quotation marks; indirect quotes are more context-dependent.
• Noun Modification: Clauses modify nouns like adjectives.
  • Relative clauses precede nouns in Japanese.

です (desu) and ます (masu) in Clauses

• In Linked Clauses: Can appear in both clauses unless only needed at the end for politeness.
• For Quoting: Used in direct quotes but not in indirect quotes.