Ultimate Guide to Japanese Nouns

Nouns have a total of five functions. Among them, the most important feature of nouns is that they can be subjects.

Being the subject

Nouns become subjects when they are accompanied by particles such as "は (ha)" "が (ga)" and "も (mo).”

Examples:

Mr. Kadokawa writes very fast.
角川さんは文字を書くのがとても早い。
Kadokawa-san wa moji o kaku no ga totemo hayai.

Miso soup makes people feel relaxed.
味噌汁は人の心をほっとさせる。
Misoshiru wa hito no kokoro o hotto sa seru.

Becoming a Predicate

A predicate is the portion of a sentence or clause with a verb that expresses information about the subject or in other words it is a state of being, the verb that is done in a sentence. It tells what is said about the subject. For example the word “sweet” in “The sugar is sweet.” So the verb which is sweet defines what really is the subject all about.

Nouns become predicates with auxiliary verbs such as "だ (da)" and "です(desu)" and particles such as "か (ka)”.

Examples:

The highest mountain in Japan is Mt. Fuji.
日本で一番高い山は富士山である。
Nihon de ichiban takai yama wa fujisandearu.

This is the famous Great Lakes.
これが有名な五大湖です。
Kore ga yuumei na godaigo desu.

Becoming an Independent Word

Nouns become independent words of presentation or invocation, which means that there is an appeal from higher authority. In the case of an invocation, it may be accompanied by a particle such as "や (ya)" or "よ (yo).”

Examples:

Oh Romeo, why are you Romeo?
おおロミオ、あなたはどうしてロミオなの。
Oo Romio, anata wa doushite Romio na no.

O sky, why are you so wide and big?
空よ、どうしてそんなに広く大きいの。
Sorayo, doushite sonnani hiroku ookii no.

Becoming a Modifier of a Noun

Nouns can be serial modifiers with particles such as "に (ni)" "を (wo)" "へ (he)" "と (to)" "で (de)" "から (kara)" "より (yori)" and so on. A serial modifier is a clause that modifies an object (verb, adjective, or adjectival verb) clause.

Examples:

Eat an apple.
りんごを食べる。
ringo wo taberu.

It comes out of my mouth.
口からでまかせが出る。
kuchikara de makase ga deru

Becoming a serial modifier

Nouns can be combined with particles such as "の (no)," "に (ni)," and "を (wo)" to form a coordinating modifier. A modifier is a clause that modifies a corporeal (noun) clause.

Examples:

There is a park by Tanaka's house.
田中さんの家のそばには公園がある。
tanaka san no ie no soba ni wa kouen ga aru.

There's a lodge at the bottom of the slope.
斜面の下にはロッジがあるよ。
joumen no shita ni wa rojji ga aru yo.

Want to know more about Japanese? Also check out:
Ultimate Guide to Beginner Japanese