2. 1. Telling the ownership of things
X は Y の Z です
wa no desu
In Lesson 1 we ve learned the basic noun sentences like X は Y の Z です as
wa no desu
(subject X)am/is(person Z)of(company/party Y) to tell what company
or party a person belongs to. In Lesson 2 we learn how to tell the ownership
of things as below :
これは person の thing です。
kore wa no desu
This is person s thing.
これは スミスさんの けいたいです。 This is Smith s cell phone.
kore wa sumisu-san no keitai desu
これは たかはしさんの でんわばんごうです。 This is Mr. Takahashi s phone number.
kore wa takahashi-san no denwa bangou desu
3. 2. Asking Who Something Belongs To
X は だれの Z ですか
wa dare no desuka
We now learn how to ask who something belongs to. The question word for
who is だれ and for whose we simply add the particle の .
dare no
これは だれ の thing ですか。
kore wa dare no desu
Whose thing is this?
Q: これは だれの けいたいですか。 Whose cell phone is this?
kore wa dareno keitai desu ka
A: スミスさんの けいたいです。 (This is) Mr. Smith s cell phone.
sumisu-san no keitai desu
Q: これは だれの でんわばんごうですか。 Whose phone number is this?
kore wa dare no denwa bangou desu ka
A: たかはしさんの でんわばんごうです。 (This is) Mr. Takahashi s phone number.
takahashi-san no denwa bangou desu
4. 3. Short Answer for Who Something Belongs To
(X は) Yの (Z) です
wa no desu
You don t have to repeat a thing in a answer for who something belongs to.
Once the thing is stated in the question then の represents it in its answer.
no
Q: これは だれ の thing ですか。
kore wa dare no desuka
Whose thing is this?
Short A: person の (thing) です。
no desu
(This is) person s (thing).
Q: これは だれの けいたい ですか。 Whose cell phone is this?
kore wa dareno keitai desu ka
Short A: スミスさんの です。 (This is) Mr. Smith s (cell phone).
sumisu-san no desu
Q: これは だれの でんわばんごう ですか。 Whose phone number is this?
kore wa dare no denwa bangou desu ka
Short A: たかはしさんの です。 (This is) Mr. Takahashi s (phone number).
takahashi-san no desu
5. 4. Giving one s telephone number
123 の 456 の 7890 です
no no desu
The particle の is usually placed in between the area code, the local
no
exchange code and the last four digits. Therefore, the number
123-456-7890 is いち に さん の よん ご ろく の なな はち きゅう ゼロ.
i ch ni sa n no yon go roku no nana hachi kyuu zero
たかはしさんの でんわばんごうは 2 1 3 の 7 0 9 の 4 6 8 5 です。
takahashi-san no denwa bangou wa ni ichi san no nana zero kyuu no yon roku hachi go desu
Mr. Takahashi s phone number is 213 - 709 - 4685.
6. 5. Ending Particles ∼ね & ∼よ
∼ ne ∼ yo
Sentences often end with the tags ね or よ, depending on the way the speaker
ne yo
views the interaction with the listener. If the speaker is seeking the listener s
confirmation or agreement to what has been said, then ね (right?) could be added.
ne
これは さとうさんの ぼうし ですね。 This is Ms. Sato s hat, isn t it/right?
kore wa satou-san no boushi desune.
Another particle, よ ( I tell you ), is added to a statement if the speaker wants to
yo
assure the listener of what has been said. With よ added, a statement becomes an
yo
authoritative decree.
スミスさんは アメリカじん ですよ。(In case you re wondering,) Mr. Smith is American.
sumisu-san wa amerika jin desuyo.