Kitchin-no mado-o shimeru-no-o wasureta. (I forgot to close the window in the kitchen.)

Situation 1: Mr. and Mrs. Okubo are going out. After leaving the house, Mrs. Okubo realizes that she forgot to shut and lock the window.

妻： あ、いけない！キッチンの窓を閉めるのを忘れた。

夫： 今、戻れば電車に間に合うよ。急いで。

Tsuma: A, ikenai! Kitchin-no mado-o shimeru-no-o wasureta.

Otto: Ima, modoreba densha-ni ma-ni-au-yo. Isoide.

Wife: Oh, no! I forgot to close the window in the kitchen.

Husband: If you go back now, we'll be in time for the train. Hurry up!

Today we will introduce the proper way of using の to make a clause that can be used like a noun within a sentence. X[=noun modifier]の makes a noun clause, as in: いいアパートを見(み)つけるのはむずかしい (It's difficult to find a good apartment). X can be a verb, adjective or a noun in the form of noun modifier, but nouns and na-adjectives in non-past affirmative form become noun/na-adjective+な+の, as in 月曜日(げつようび)は博物館(はくぶつかん)が休(やす)みなのを知(し)らなかった (I didn't know that museums close on Mondays). In sentences such as (Xのが)好(す)きだ (like)/ 早(はや)い (fast) or (Xのは)おもしろい (interesting)/ 体(からだ)にいい (good for your body)/ 大変(たいへん)だ (hard)/ 有名(ゆうめい)だ (famous), X[=noun modifier]の is used more often than the alternative X[=noun modifier]こと. Example: 料理(りょうり)を作 (つく)るのは楽(たの)しいけど、後片付(あとかたづ)けをするのは好(す)きじゃない (I enjoy cooking, but I don't like clearing up afterward). Within noun clauses, the は that would normally attach to the subject if the clause was a sentence should be changed to が, as here: 田中(たなか)さんが来月(らいげつ)結婚(けっこん)するのを知(し)っていますか (Did you know that Ms. Tanaka is getting married next month?). In the above cases, の can be replaced by こと. Whereas の is used to express concrete facts or actions in spoken language, こと is used to express rather abstract matters in formal or written language. (More on this next week.)

Situation 2: Yuri and Sere are at a park on a date. They look at a pond.

ゆり： あ、魚が泳いでいるのが見えるよ。

セレ： ほんとだ。ずいぶん大きい魚だね。

Yuri: A, sakana-ga oyoide-iru-no-ga mieru-yo.

Sere: Honto-da. Zuibun ōkii sakana-da-ne.

Yuri: Ah, I can see a fish swimming!

Sere: Oh, yeah. It's quite a big one.

There are some verbs that are mainly used with Xの. For example, the verb that follows Xの is often a verb of perception, such as 見 (み)る (to look), 見える (to see), 聞(き)く (to listen), 聞こえる (to hear), 感(かん)じる (to feel) or 気(き)がつく (to notice). Verbs related to another person or matter are also common, such as 待(ま)つ(to wait), 手伝(てつだ)う (to help) and じゃまする(to disturb), as well as verbs such as やめる (to stop/quit) and 止(と)める (to stop). Example: 荷物(にもつ)を運(はこ)ぶのを手伝(てつだ)ってください (Could you help carry the baggage?).

Bonus Dialogue: Ms. Tamachi and her colleague Ms. Gray are chatting about the weekend.

田町： 金曜日(きんようび)の夜(よる)にビールを飲(の)みながら うちでドラマや映画(えいが)を見(み)るのが好(す)きなの。

グレイ： ああ、いいね。ストレス解消(かいしょう)になるし。

田町： 今(いま)、サスペンスドラマにはまっちゃって。

グレイ： ああ、あれは見始(みはじ)めると、見るのをやめられないね。

田町： でも、この前(まえ)、上(うえ)の階(かい)の人(ひと)に注意(ちゅうい)されちゃった。夜中(よなか)に女の人(おんなのひと)が叫(さけ)ぶ声(こえ)が聞(き)こえて目(め)がさめたって。夜中は音(おと)がよく聞(き)こえるみたい。

グレイ： あまり夜(よ)ふかしするのは体(からだ)によくないん じゃない？

田町： そうかもね。それで、夜中(よなか)に見るのはやめて、日曜日(にちようび)に見ようかと思(おも)っているの。 でも、そうすると、フィットネスジムに行(い)く時間 (じかん)がなくなっちゃうし。

グレイ： ストレス解消とフィットネスを両立(りょうりつ)させるのはむずかしいね。

Tamachi: I like watching TV dramas or a movie over beers at home on Friday nights.

Gray: Oh, that's good. It's a great way to reduce stress.

Tamachi: At the moment, I'm hooked on suspense dramas.

Gray: I know. Once you start watching, you can't stop, can you?

Tamachi: But, I was given a warning by the woman who lives above me. She heard a woman screaming in the middle of the night and woke up. The sound of the TV can be heard loudly at nighttime.

Gray: It's not good for your health to stay up too late, right?

Tamachi: You're probably right. So, I'm thinking that I should stop watching them at night and watch them Sunday instead. But, if I do that, I'll have less time for the gym.

Gray: It's difficult to juggle reducing stress and staying fit.