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princessmarisa (Offline)
JF Old Timer
 
Posts: 233
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Leeds, UK
11-11-2010, 11:15 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Decimus View Post
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Thanks for the really long explanation of the words meaning wolf and the use of の。 I think I thought that all nouns could be made into adjectives by adding な and just saw it as some kind of slightly different meaning to use の instead. Now I know the real case! Not sure why I never noticed it with colours!
Quote:
Originally Posted by chryuop View Post
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Thanks for trying to further clarify the use of の I do think of it in terms of what you suggested but I guess in an ambiguous way I can't explain so will often just substitute it for of and hope people get what I mean!
I just can't think of a better catch-all.
Like サラの車 will initially register as car of Sara, which easily becomes Sara's car when I make it "make more sense". If I was to use "that is" or "who is" or any other one to one to help me remember の it would lead me to
car that is Sara, or car who is Sara which is much harder to realise means Sara's car.

In the same way that I read 男の子 as child of man, and I know this means a child of (the type) man, and then I realise it is boy.

サラの車 and 男の子 is maybe bad examples because I can now instantly recognise this as boy and don't have to go through the above "thinking through it" steps.


My level of Japanese is about JLPT N5 (this is the same as the old 4kyuu or very bottom level ), as I am currently preparing for this, but I know the odd word or grammatical phrase above this as I haven't studied in any kind of sensible order.

I did the very basic grammar in class but now 100% self teach, and tend to pick up new grammar points from wondering "how do I say abc" or "what does that sentence mean" rather than structured lessons.

I really suck at terms that describe grammar such as "subordinate clause" I tend to learn grammar more in a way that "makes sense in my head but that isn't what I actually think it translates to" so I know the uses of の and that it doesn't always mean of, I just need a one word way of remembering it in my head, that is kind of right.


I see the confusion when i try explain this to others though! I will definitely put the that is/who is extra meaning of の into my head incase my usual way doesn't work.


Fighting ignorance and slaying a few narutards whilst I am at it.
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