Nominalizers

In linguistics, a nominalizer is a word whose purpose is to turn something into a noun.

In Japanese, the no の particle, which is sometimes contracted to n ん, and koto こと are often called nominalizers.

The exact terminology seems complicated. For example, sometimes they're called light nouns instead. See the article about formal nouns for details.

• Grammar
• References

Grammar

The reason why no の and koto こと are said to be nominalizers is because they can nominalizer an aspect of a sentence if that sentence is used as a relative clause to qualify them.

For example:^{(Makino and Tsutsui, 1986, as cited in Murata, 1999:65)}

• shousetsu wo kaku
  小説を書く
  To write a novel.
  • A sentence.
• {shousetsu wo kaku} no wa muzukashii
  小説を書くのは難しい
  The "no" [that is] {to write a novel} is difficult.
  Writing a novel is difficult.
• {shousetsu wo kaku} koto wa muzukashii
  小説を書くことは難しい
  The "koto" [that is] {to write a novel} is difficult.
  Writing a novel is difficult.

Above, both sentences translate to the same thing in English, despite using different nominalizers. At very least, this indicates that both no の and koto こと perform similar functions. If we say that that function is nominalization, then they're both nominalizers.

We can't say, for example, that no の is a nominalizer above, but koto こと is not, because they're both being used the same way.

As for the difference between koto こと and no の, the nominalizer no の is used to refer to a specific concrete event, whether it has happened or might happen in the future, while koto こと is used generally.^{(Kuno, 1973 b, as cited in Murata, 1999)}

In other words, the shousetsu wo kaku no wa could imply, for example, that the speaker is talking about their own attempt at writing a novel, while shousetsu wo kaku koto wa refers to the act of writing novels in general.

These two nominalizers also have some functions which do not overlap like this.

For example, koto こと is often used in the collocations koto nai ことない and koto aru ことある, which mean you've "never done (something) before," or "have done (something) before." This is a function that no の doesn't have.

Conversely:

Manga: Yotsuba to! よつばと！ (Chapter 10, ケーキ)

• kono ichigo no notteru no
  このイチゴの　のってるの
  This one with a strawberry on top.
  • The first no の is the no の subject marker, the second is the nominalizer.
  • notteru のってる
    (stylized in hiragana because it's a child speaking...)
  • notteru 乗ってる
    (contraction of...)
  • notteiru 乗っている
    To be mounted on. To be on top of. (te-iru form of noru 乗る.)
• hoho---!
  ほほーー！
  (Santa-like laugh.)

In the example above, we have no の used to refer to one generic but concrete object. This can translate to "one" in English. Note the difference between no の and a normal noun:

• kono ichigo no notteru keeki
  このイチゴの乗ってるケーキ
  This cake with a strawberry on top.
• kono ichigo no notteru no
  このイチゴの乗ってるの
  This one with a strawberry on top.

This is a function that koto こと doesn't have.

References

• Murata, M., 1999. Syntax and semantics of the nominals mono and koto in Japanese: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Japanese at Massey University (Doctoral dissertation, Massey University).