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Nouns, Particles & Basic Sentences

Nouns, the は/が/を/の particles and basic XはYです sentences
は と が の機能
functions of wa and ga
wa/ga deep dive
Topic vs subject; contrast, exhaustive listing
が: 排他・中立叙述
ga: exhaustive vs neutral
ga functions
が can single out or simply describe
は: 主題・対比
wa: topic vs contrast
wa functions
Contrastive は: 私は行くが...
複合名詞
compound nouns
compound formation
新+幹線=新幹線; rendaku in compounds
形式名詞: こと, もの, ところ
formal nouns: koto, mono, tokoro
keishiki meishi
Grammaticalised nouns: こと (act/fact), ところ (point/just)
こと vs の (nominalisers)
koto vs no (nominalisers)
koto / no
Both nominalise; choice depends on context
名詞 + らしい / っぽい
noun + rashii / ppoi
rashii / ppoi
学生らしい = student-like; 子供っぽい = childish
数量詞の位置
position of quantifiers
quantifier float
本を3冊買う / 3冊の本を買う
～的 — adjectival suffix
-teki — adjectival suffix
-teki
経済的 = economic(al); makes nouns into na-adjectives
抽象名詞化: ～さ / ～み
abstract nouns: -sa / -mi
-sa / -mi
高さ = height; 重み = weight/significance