Explanation
Use a relative clause with "that" to give essential information about a noun. The clause comes after the noun and tells us which person or thing you mean.
For example, in "I like the book that you recommended," "the book" is the noun, and "that you recommended" is the relative clause. Inside that clause, "you" is the subject and "recommended" is the verb. Japanese often puts the extra information before the noun, but English usually puts it after the noun. The word "that" helps join the noun and the clause, although it is sometimes left out in spoken English.
"that" を使う関係節は、名詞に必要な情報を足して「どれか」を特定します。関係節は名詞のあとに置きます。
たとえば "I like the book that you recommended." では、"the book" が名詞で、"that you recommended" が関係節です。関係節の中では、"you" が主語、"recommended" が動詞です。日本語は修飾部分を名詞の前に置くので、英語の「名詞のあとに足す」形に慣れることが大切です。"that" は名詞と節をつなぐ語で、会話では省略されることもあります。
Examples
- This is the bag that I bought yesterday. これは私が昨日買ったかばんです。
- I know a restaurant that serves good curry. おいしいカレーを出すレストランを知っています。
- She found the keys that were under the sofa. 彼女はソファの下にあった鍵を見つけました。
- Do you remember the man that we met at the station? 私たちが駅で会った男性を覚えていますか。
- I do not like the app that keeps crashing. 何度も落ちるアプリは好きではありません。
- Can you show me the shoes that you were talking about? あなたが話していた靴を見せてもらえますか。
Common Mistakes
Japanese learners often add an extra pronoun inside the relative clause, or place the clause in the wrong order.
Wrong: "I have the book that I bought it yesterday."
Right: "I have the book that I bought yesterday."
Also, do not say "the book yesterday that I bought". In English, the relative clause comes after the noun.
日本語話者は、関係節の中に代名詞をもう一度入れてしまったり、語順を日本語のままにしてしまったりします。
誤り: "I have the book that I bought it yesterday."
正しくは: "I have the book that I bought yesterday."
また、"the book yesterday that I bought" のような順番にも注意してください。英語では関係節は名詞のあとに置きます。