名詞修飾【めいししゅうしょく】

A Japanese noun is described by whatever comes right before it: an adjective, a verb, or a whole clause. There is no word for "who", "which" or "that", and the verb or adjective at the end of the clause is in the plain form.

Polite forms don't go in front of a noun, even in a polite sentence; the politeness goes on the main verb at the end.

• × 昨日食べましたラーメン → 昨日食べたラーメン

Adjectives

An い-adjective goes straight before the noun, and a な-adjective takes な.

• × 静かだ部屋 → 静かな部屋

In the past, the い-adjective ends in かった and the な-adjective takes だった.

Verbs and whole clauses

A verb in the plain form, past or non-past, goes before the noun and brings its whole clause with it – subject, object, time, place. Everything in front of the noun describes it.

The clause keeps its own tense. In the first example 使う is non-past because the using goes on, though 買いました is past.

が inside the clause

The subject of a clause in front of a noun takes が, not は. の can replace that が.

With は, the sentence changes meaning: 母は焼いたクッキーを食べました is "my mother ate the baked cookies".

• × 母は焼いたクッキー → 母が焼いたクッキー