日本語: Nouns

What Are Nouns?

A noun refers to a person place or thing (A thing may be a quality or a concept). Japanese nouns do not express gender. Japanese does not use articles before nouns. There is no English equivalent of a, an or the.

Proper nouns refer to a particular person, place or thing.

For example: 山田さんは東京に行きます。 山田 and 東京 are nouns.

山田さんは月曜日に東京に行きます。　山田, 月曜日 and 東京 are nouns.

A common noun on the other hand does not refer to a specific person, place or thing.

Examples: 本, 男の子, 女の子

The distinction between the singular and the plural in Japanese is non-existent. The same word is used for both.

Examples
本	book, books
猫	cat, cats
車	car, cars
家	house, houses
電車	train, trains
りんごを持っています。	I have an apple.
りんごを持っています。	I have some apples.

The plural suffix -たち can be used for nouns referring to people however this is not mandatory.

Examples
子供	child, children	子供たち	children
女の子	girl, girls	女の子たち	girls
先生	teacher, teachers	先生たち	teachers

When attached with someone’s name, the plural suffix -たち, generally refers to that person and their family or group.

Example: 山田さんたち　Yamada and is family or group.

Names

The Japanese generally use their family names first and their first name last. In most social exchanges, the family name will only be used, even among family and friends. So unless specifically asked to do otherwise, only use the last name. The only exception to this rule is with young children, where their first name is used and the title -ちゃん is attached to the end.

Titles

-さん is the all purpose Japanese title. I relays respect and is equivalent to the English Mr., Mrs, Ms. and Miss. -さん is used both when speaking to a person and referring to them, however it should never be used to refer to one’s self.

Examples
山田さんお茶はいかがですか。	Mr. Yamada, would you like some tea?
山田さんは今日学校に行きますか。	Is Mr. Yamada at school today?
私は山田ようこです。	I am Yooko Yamada.

Politeness

Politeness can be expressed by adding the prefix お- to some nouns. The prefix ご- is also used with words of chinese origin. The prefix ご- is most typically used by women in some cases. In other cases, the polite prefix is always used with some words like: お茶 and ご飯. Be sure to use the prefixes with nouns correctly.

Examples
名前 なまえ	お名前 おなまえ	Name
箸 はし	お箸 おはし	Chopsticks
手紙 てがみ	お手紙 おてがみ	Letter
本	ご本	Book

Compound Nouns

The particle の is used to make compound nouns by joining them. Though some compound nouns are formed with out the particle.

Example
歴史のクラス れきしのクラス	History class
英語の先生 えいごのせんせい	English teacher
アパートのビル	Apartment building
観光バス かんこうバス	Tourist bus

Noun Suffixes

A noun becomes the place or shop where that thing is sold or the person that sells is when the suffix や- is added to a noun. The suffix -さん can be added to the noun when referring to the person that sells the noun. When referring to a person that has particular knowledge or expertise with a subject, the suffix -か is added to the noun.

Example
肉 にく	肉屋 にきや	肉屋さん にくやさん	Meat Butcher
本	本屋 ほんや	本屋さん ほんやさん	Book Bookstore clerk
漫画 まんが	漫画か まんがか		Manga Manga artist
政治 せいじ	政治家 せいじか		Politics Politician
小説 しょうせつ	小説家 しょうせつか		Novel Novelist