Minna No Nihongo Lesson 38 Grammar -
Nihongo no kanji o oboeru no wa muzukashii desu ga, hanasu no wa kantan desu. "Regarding Japanese, kanji is difficult to remember, but speaking is easy."
Happy studying, and enjoy the newfound expressiveness of your Japanese!
Nominalizing allows you to discuss actions as if they were objects. For example, instead of just saying "I read books," you can say "Reading books is fun". 1. Verb (Plain Form) + のは + Adjective です
[Verb Plain Form] + のが + [Adjective] + です minna no nihongo lesson 38 grammar
むずかしい (difficult), たのしい (fun), じかんが かかる (takes time), きけんな (dangerous). 2. Verb (Plain Form) + のが + Adjective です
Notice the particle switch: instead of は. Why? Because adjectives like suki and jouzu inherently require が to mark the thing liked or the skill area. This is a beautiful example of how Japanese particles lock into specific grammatical patterns.
In のに , the に marks the — the perspective from which you judge something. Think of it as "for the purpose of X, it is Y." Nihongo no kanji o oboeru no wa muzukashii
Once you feel comfortable with Lesson 38, move on to Lesson 39, which covers ~てある (resultative state) and ~ておく (preparatory actions). But don’t rush — practice making 10 original sentences using each pattern first. Write them down, say them aloud, and try to use them the next time you speak Japanese.
This structure emphasizes a specific piece of information, similar to "It is [Noun] that..." in English. 娘が生まれた
電気を消すのを覚えていますか？ Denki o kesu no o oboete imasu ka? “Do you remember to turn off the lights?” For example, instead of just saying "I read
In Lesson 39 or intermediate grammar, you will learn のに meaning "although" (e.g., 知っているのに言わない – "Although I know, I won’t say"). That is different. In Lesson 38, のに only indicates purpose/function, not contrast.
Most textbooks teach koto vs no nominalization early on, but Lesson 38 of Minna no Nihongo is where the practical, emotional, and cognitive uses click. You stop translating word-for-word and start thinking in . Instead of saying “I like dogs,” you can say “I like walking dogs.” Instead of “It’s difficult,” you can say “Explaining grammar in Japanese is difficult.” Instead of “I forgot,” you can say “I forgot to lock the door”—a life-saving phrase.
