Relative Clauses — Who, Which, That
English relative clauses follow the noun; Japanese ones precede it
Category: Relative Clauses
The Rule
English relative clauses come AFTER the noun they modify and use relative pronouns (who, which, that). Japanese relative clauses come BEFORE the noun with no relative pronoun.
Why This Matters
Japanese: [東京に住んでいる] 友達 = '[lives-in-Tokyo] friend'. English: 'The friend [who lives in Tokyo]'. The clause flips from before to after, and English adds a relative pronoun. Japanese speakers struggle with both the position and the pronoun choice.
Examples
• The man who lives next door is kind. — "隣に住んでいる男の人は親切です。" [Japanese: [隣に住んでいる]男 → English: man [who lives next door]] • The book that I bought is interesting. — "私が買った本は面白いです。" [Japanese: [私が買った]本 → English: book [that I bought]] • The city where I was born is small. — "私が生まれた街は小さいです。" ['Where' for places — Japanese uses no relative pronoun]
Common Mistakes
❌ Lives in Tokyo friend is kind. ✅ The friend who lives in Tokyo is kind. → English relative clauses go AFTER the noun, not before it like Japanese. ❌ The man which lives next door... ✅ The man who lives next door... → 'Who' for people, 'which' for things. Japanese has no such distinction.
Quick Tip
Who = people. Which = things. That = both (informal). Where = places. When = times. This system doesn't exist in Japanese, so memorize these five relative pronouns.
Who = people. Which = things. That = both (informal). Where = places. When = times. This system doesn't exist in Japanese, so memorize these five relative pronouns.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: Lives in Tokyo friend is kind. → Correct: The friend who lives in Tokyo is kind.. English relative clauses go AFTER the noun, not before it like Japanese.
Incorrect: The man which lives next door... → Correct: The man who lives next door.... 'Who' for people, 'which' for things. Japanese has no such distinction.
Quiz
Complete: 'The woman ___ I met yesterday was a doctor.'