Making Sense of Japanese Grammar

47. no is for a familiar event; koto is for an abstract idea

47 no is for a familiar event; koto is for an abstract idea In Unit 46, we saw that no turns a sentence into a noun phrase. no, however, is not the only word which has this function. The noun koto also has the function of turning a sentence into a noun phrase, as shown below: Burajiru-de-mo Porutogaru-go-ga hanasarete iru koto-o shitte-imasu-ka. “Do you know that Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, too?” What is the difference between no and koto? The difference is that no is used for concrete actions and personal or familiar knowledge, while koto is used for more abstract properties such as ability, notable experience, habit, decision, and significant knowledge. Examples of no The boldface in the following sentence describes a concrete event: 5-peeji-no genkoo-o kakiageru no-ni isshuukan-mo kakatta. “It took me a week to write up a five-page manuscript.” In the following two examples, the parts in boldface type describe personal knowledge of concrete events registered by seeing or hearing: Tooku-de kodomo-tachi-ga tako-o agete-iru no-ga miemasu. “I can see children flying kites in the distance.” Yonaka-ni toori-de dareka-ga oogoe-de iiarasotte-iru no-o kikimashita. “I heard someone arguing loudly in the street at night.” The parts in boldface in the following describe a personal circumstance: Nodo-ga itakatta no-de, intabyuu-o kyanseru-shita. “Since I had a sore throat, I cancelled the interview.” In the following examples, the speaker comments on familiar experiences: 111 Shinbun-o yomi-nagara koohii-o nomu no-ga suki-da. “I like drinking coffee while reading a newspaper.” Ima-kara konban-no kippu-o toru no-wa muri-desu-yo. “It is too late to secure tickets for tonight now.” Examples of koto By contrast, in the following examples, the parts in boldface type are the contents of decisions, more abstract properties than personal experiences. This is why koto is used. Rainen nihon-ni iku koto-ni narimashita. “It has been decided (for me) to go to Japan next year.” Mainichi undoo-suru koto-ni shite-imasu. “I am making a point of exercising every day.” Koko-de-wa tabako-wa sutte-wa ikenai koto-ni natte-imasu. “There is a rule that one cannot smoke here.” And in the following, the part in boldface describes a purported ability—again, a more abstract property than an actual event: Me-o aketa mama kushami-o suru koto-ga dekimasu-ka. “Can you sneeze with your eyes open?” We have said that no is for a personal experience. You might then wonder why the following sentence employs koto. Isn’t it an expression of personal experience? Echiopia-ryoori-o tabeta koto-ga arimasu-ka. “Have you ever eaten Ethiopian food?” The reason why koto is used here is related to the deeper meaning of this sentence. This sentence is not about a mundane experience; it treats the part in 112 boldface as a memorable, noteworthy event. This construction cannot be used in order to translate a sentence describing a familiar event such as “Have you eaten dinner already?” which must be translated into Moo ban-gohan tabemashita-ka. Individual Decision The fact that the distinction between no and koto depends on the concept of noteworthiness has an interesting consequence. In the following sentences, both options are possible. This is because the sentences pertain to personal knowledge or ideas, and individuals can decide for themselves if the knowledge is mundane or notable. { } Burajiru-de-mo Porutogaru-go-ga hanasarete-iru {no/koto}-o shitte-iru? “Do you know that Portuguese is spoken in Brazil, too?” { } Ano hashi-o watatta {no/koto}-o oboete-iru? “Do you remember crossing that bridge?” { } Gakusei-wa jugyoo-ryoo-o ageru {no/koto}-ni hantai-shita. “The students opposed raising tuition rates.” { } Dareka-ga soto-de matte-iru {no/koto}-ni ki-ga tsuita. “I noticed that someone was waiting outside.” { } Sono hito-ga nanbei kakuchi-ni nando-mo itte-kita {no/koto}-ga wakatta. “It became clear that the person had been to various places in South America many times.” Checking your comprehension: Translate the following sentences into Japanese. I decided to go to graduate school. I can see someone standing in front of the house. Have you ever read about Paul Robeson? 113 For related topics, see also Unit 46. ...