読Longer sentences
Reading long sentences
Long Japanese sentences stack descriptions in front of nouns. Find the noun being described, then work backward.
The idea
Every long sentence is built from units
A modifier and what it describes form one unit. Units can sit inside larger units. If you can spot where each unit starts and ends, even a long sentence becomes a short one with a few extras.
Japanese modifiers come first, so as you read, you're often holding details until you reach the noun or verb they belong to.
Watch it grow
Each step adds a description
The main sentence hasn't changed: 姉は傘を使っています.
My older sister still uses the umbrella.
My older sister still uses the red umbrella.
My older sister still uses the red umbrella our mother bought her.
My older sister still uses the red umbrella our mother bought her when she was a child.
What can be described
Finding the head
| Modifier | Modified | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | Noun | 新しい 車 |
| Sentence | Noun | 昨日買った 車 |
| Adverb | Verb or adjective | ゆっくり 歩く, とても 高い |
| Sentence | Conjunction | 雨が降った から |
| Sentence | Grammar word | 彼が来る はず |
Tips for finding units
Where does each piece stop?
| Look for | It usually means |
|---|---|
| A verb right before a noun | The start of a description of that noun |
| は or も at the start | Usually outside the unit, as the main subject |
| が inside | Usually the subject of a clause |
| が meaning “but”, or a comma | Often the boundary of a first clause |
| だろう, らしい, はず | These cover everything back to the clause start |
Practice
Find the main sentence
I went to the sea in a car I borrowed from a friend.
Main sentence: 車で海に行きました. 友だちに借りた describes 車.
The shop that the person I met at the station told me about was good.
Main sentence: 店はおいしかったです.
Check yourself
Which noun does the description belong to?
Put it together
The book my teacher gave me is interesting.
Say it yourself
Build it up
Take the sentence “I read a book.” Add that it's a book your friend recommended, then that it's about Japan.
Automatic feedback on your own answers is coming to Premium.