In Japanese, a whole clause can describe a noun, and it always comes before that noun: 母が作ったケーキ = the cake that my mother made. English and Vietnamese put this part after the noun, so the word order is the opposite. The clause is in the plain form, even in a polite sentence; only the end of the whole sentence becomes です／ます. The noun with its clause works like any noun, so it can be followed by は, が, を, に and so on.
§1Structure
[clause in plain form] + noun. Verb: dictionary form / ない form / た form / ている (行く店, 食べない人, 買ったかばん, 読んでいる人) + noun. The clause can also end in an い-adjective (背が高い人) or a な-adjective + な (料理が上手な人). The subject inside the clause usually takes が, not は. Nothing is added between the clause and the noun (no の, no word like "who / which").
§2Examples
これは母が作ったケーキです。
これはははがつくったケーキです。
This is a cake that my mother made.
明日行く店は駅の近くにあります。
あしたいくみせはえきのちかくにあります。
The shop I'm going to tomorrow is near the station.
あそこで本を読んでいる人は田中さんです。
あそこでほんをよんでいるひとはたなかさんです。
The person who is reading a book over there is Mr. Tanaka.
肉を食べない人もいます。
にくをたべないひともいます。
There are also people who don't eat meat.
昨日買ったかばんはどこですか。
きのうかったかばんはどこですか。
Where is the bag you bought yesterday?
背が高い人はリンさんのお姉さんです。
せがたかいひとはリンさんのおねえさんです。
The tall person is Lin's older sister.
料理が上手な人が好きです。
りょうりがじょうずなひとがすきです。
I like people who are good at cooking.
これは京都で撮った写真だ。
これはきょうとでとったしゃしんだ。
This is a photo I took in Kyoto.
§3Common mistakes
- Using the polite form inside the clause. ✕ 昨日買いましたかばん → ○ 昨日買ったかばん. ✕ 本を読んでいます人 → ○ 本を読んでいる人. The clause before the noun is in the plain form; politeness is shown only at the end of the sentence.
- Putting の between a verb and the noun, by analogy with 名詞＋の＋名詞. ✕ 昨日買ったのかばん → ○ 昨日買ったかばん. ✕ 母が作るの料理 → ○ 母が作る料理. A verb or い-adjective connects to the noun directly.
- Marking the subject inside the clause with は. ✕ これは母は作ったケーキです → ○ これは母が作ったケーキです. は usually marks the topic of the whole sentence, so the subject that belongs only to the modifying clause takes が. Also keep the Japanese word order: ✕ ケーキ、母が作った → ○ 母が作ったケーキ.
§4How it's different from similar grammar
- Noun + の + noun
- When a noun describes another noun, の is needed: 日本語の本 (a Japanese-language book). When a clause ending in a verb or い-adjective describes a noun, there is no の: 日本で買った本 (a book I bought in Japan). Compare 友だちの写真 (a photo of / belonging to my friend) and 友だちが撮った写真 (a photo that my friend took).
- の used as "one" (赤いの, わたしの)
- In a noun-modifying clause the noun is said: 昨日買ったかばんは高かったです (The bag I bought yesterday was expensive). When the noun is already clear from the situation, の can take its place: 昨日買ったのは高かったです (The one I bought yesterday was expensive). Here の is not a linking の; it stands for かばん.
§5How this shows up on the JLPT
This is one of the main targets of the sentence-building (★) questions: four pieces such as 母が / 作った / ケーキ / は must be put in order, and the key is that the clause comes right before the noun it describes. In grammar-form questions you choose the form before the noun (買った, not 買いました or 買ったの) or the particle inside the clause (が rather than は). In reading passages, long subjects like きのう駅の前で会った人は are common; first find the noun at the end of the clause, then read the clause as its description.
§6Quick check (3 questions)
1. Choose the form that fits the blank: これは父が＿＿写真です。
これはちちが＿＿しゃしんです。
2. Which sentence correctly says "The person who is drinking coffee over there is Mr. Tanaka"?
3. Read the sentence: 「わたしはリンさんが作った料理を食べました。」 Who cooked, and who ate?
わたしはリンさんがつくったりょうりをたべました。