Relative Clauses: Modifying Nouns with Clauses (昨日買った本) [JLPT N4]
Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026
「昨日買った本」「彼が住んでいる町」 — in Japanese the modifying clause comes before the noun.
「昨日買った本」 — Japanese modifiers go entirely before the noun
「昨日買った本」 (the book I bought yesterday), 「私が作った料理」 (the dish I made) — when Japanese modifies a noun with a clause (a relative clause), the whole clause goes before the noun, and the clause's verb is in plain form. This differs a lot from Chinese's 「の/的」 or English's which/that after the noun. This guide covers relative-clause word order and attachment, unpacking the “long modifier ＋ noun” structure.
Core: the modifier goes entirely “before” the noun
The iron rule of Japanese noun modification: the modifying clause goes before the noun, verb in plain form:
- 昨日買った 本 (the book I bought yesterday) — modifier in front.
- 私が作った 料理 (the dish I made).
- 日本語を教えてくれる 先生 (the teacher who teaches me Japanese).
Unlike Chinese (書 with 的) or English (the book I bought — clause after), Japanese is “clause directly ＋ noun,” no 「的」, not placed after.
How to Connect
| Clause tense | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| present／future | dictionary ＋ noun | 読む本 |
| past | た-form ＋ noun | 買った本 |
| negative | ない-form ＋ noun | 読まない本 |
| subject with が | 〜が〜 ＋ noun | 私が作った料理 |
Examples in context
- 昨日買った本を読んでいる。(I'm reading the book I bought yesterday.) — past modifier
- これは母が作った料理です。(This is the dish my mom made.) — subject が
- 彼女が私に教えてくれた言葉。(The words she taught me.) — long modifier
- まだ見ていない映画を見たい。(I want to see a movie I haven't seen yet.) — negative modifier
- 日本語が話せる人を探している。(I'm looking for someone who can speak Japanese.) — potential modifier
⚠️ Easy traps to avoid
① The clause goes “before” the noun — different order from Chinese/English. Japanese 「昨日買った本」 = modifier (昨日買った) ＋ noun (本), modifier first, attached directly, no 「的」. Chinese “昨天买的书” has 「的」; English “the book I bought” puts the clause after — Japanese does neither.
② The clause's verb is plain form. 買った本 (✗ 買いました本), 読む本 (dictionary). Inside a modifier clause, use the plain form, not the ます-form.
③ The clause's subject takes 「が」. 私が作った料理 — a modifier clause's subject usually takes が (not は). 「は」 is the whole sentence's topic; inside a clause use が.
🔄 Compare: Japanese vs Chinese/English modifier order
| Aspect | Japanese | Chinese／English |
|---|---|---|
| order | clause ＋ noun (before) | Ch: modifier ＋ 的 ＋ noun／En: noun ＋ clause |
| link | direct (no 「的」) | Ch: 的／En: which/that |
| clause verb | plain form | — |
💡 An exam judgment tip
Relative clauses (modifying a noun with a clause) are the skeleton of Japanese sentences — three iron rules make it click: ① the modifier clause goes entirely “before” the noun (昨日買った本, not 本 昨日買った); ② the clause verb is plain form (買った・読む・食べない); ③ the clause subject takes が (私が作った料理). Chinese-background learners get stuck most on “reversed order” — used to putting the modifier after (like English). Read and drill the “(long modifier) ＋ noun” structure and long sentences (read or heard) flow much better. It's also key to parsing long sentences in reading (see the 〈reading strategies〉 guide).
❓ Common questions
Q: Why do Japanese modifiers go before the noun?
It's Japanese's basic word order — modifiers (adjectives, clauses) always go “before” the modified noun, attached directly, no 「的」. Japanese: 「昨日買った本」 (modifier ＋ noun); Chinese: 「昨天买的书」 (with 的); English: 「the book I bought」 (clause after). So in a long Japanese sentence, find the final noun first (the core) — everything before it modifies it. Get used to “modifier first” and long sentences untangle.
Q: How do the verb and subject work inside a modifier clause?
The verb is plain form (dictionary／た-form／ない-form), not ます-form: 読む本, 買った本, 読まない本 (✗ 読みます本). The subject takes 「が」 (not は): 私が作った料理, 彼が書いた手紙. Because 「は」 is the whole sentence's topic, a modifier clause's inner subject takes 「が」. Remember “inside a clause: plain form ＋ が.”
🖊️ Practice Questions (5)
Q1. 「___本を読んでいる。」(I'm reading the book I bought yesterday)
(A) 昨日買うの (B) 昨日買った (C) 昨日買う (D) 昨日買いの
Q2. 「これは___カフェです。」(This is the café I often go to)
(A) 私がよく行く (B) 私はよく行く (C) 私のよく行く (D) 私によく行く
Q3. 「彼女が私に教えてくれた方法」の構造は？
(A) 名詞 + 修飾節
(B) 修飾節 (clause) + 名詞
(C) 名詞 + が + 動詞
(D) 助詞 + 名詞
Q4. 「まだ___映画を見たい。」(I want to watch a movie I haven't seen yet)
(A) 見た (B) 見ていない (C) 見る (D) 見なかった
Q5. 英語「a place I've never been to」を Japanese に直すと？
(A) 場所に行ったことがない
(B) 行ったことがない場所
(C) 場所が行ったことがない
(D) 行くことができない場所
Answer Explanations
1. (B) 昨日買った ── 「昨日買った本」(the book I bought yesterday) = た-form (past) + noun. Modifying clauses use the plain form; the past uses the た-form.
2. (A) 私がよく行く ── 「私がよく行くカフェ」(the café I often go to) = inside a modifying clause the subject uses が, not は. Dictionary form (present/habitual) + noun.
3. (B) 修飾節 (clause) + 名詞 ── 「彼女が私に教えてくれた」(that she taught me) is a modifying clause, placed before 「方法」(noun); this is the basic structure of Japanese relative clauses: [modifying clause] + noun.
4. (B) 見ていない ── 「まだ見ていない映画」(a movie I haven't seen yet) = the ていない form (present negative / not-yet-completed state) + noun. 見た (past affirmative) and 見る (present habitual) don't fit the meaning.
5. (B) 行ったことがない場所 ── In Japanese the modifying clause comes first: 「行ったことがない」(have never been) + 「場所」(place) = 「行ったことがない場所」(a place I've never been). English 'never been to a place' → Japanese: ことがない + 場所.