Reading Long Relative Clauses

Learn how to unpack long noun-modifying clauses without losing the head noun or the main meaning.

Find the head noun that comes after a long modifier.Break a relative clause into smaller chunks while keeping track of who does what.Read long noun phrases more efficiently in stories, articles, and notices.

Guided study

Find the head noun first

In Japanese, long relative clauses come before the noun they modify. A good strategy is to wait for the head noun instead of trying to translate too early. Once you find the noun, the earlier clause becomes much easier to interpret.

私が昨日図書館で借りた本

the book that I borrowed at the library yesterday

Wait for the head noun 本 before translating the details.

駅の前で毎朝パンを売っている店

the shop that sells bread every morning in front of the station

The long clause modifies 店, not the whole sentence.

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