日本語の本
nihongo no hon
The English phrase "japanese book" is translated into Japanese as 日本語の本 (nihongo no hon).
日本語の本 is used to emphasize that a book is written specifically in the Japanese language.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nihongo (Japanese language), the possessive particle no and hon (book).
Which one should you use?
While 日本語の本 (nihongo no hon) specifically means a book written in the Japanese language, the phrase 日本の本 (nihon no hon) refers to a book from Japan, which could be written in any language. For a very informal way to say "Japanese books and stuff", you can use 日本の本や (Nihon no Hon ya).
How do you pronounce it?
nihongo no hon
Did you know?
- In Japan, books are traditionally read from right to left and the pages are turned from left to right, meaning a 日本語の本 often opens from what an English speaker would call the back.
- A 日本語の本 may contain 'furigana', which are small phonetic characters printed next to complex kanji to tell the reader how to pronounce the word.
- The word hon (book) is a homophone for the counter hon, which is used for long, cylindrical objects like pens and bottles. Depending on the context, hon can mean 'book' or simply 'one long object'.
Examples in context
- すみません、日本の本を探しています。Excuse me, I'm looking for Japanese books.
- 最近日本の本に夢中だよ。Lately, I've been obsessed with Japanese books.
- 日本語の本を読んでいます。Nihongo no hon o yonde imasu.I am reading a Japanese book.
- 棚に日本語の本がたくさんあります。Tana ni Nihongo no hon ga takusan arimasu.There are many Japanese books on the shelf.
- これは日本語の本ですか？Kore wa Nihongo no hon desu ka?Is this a Japanese book?
Example conversation
At a library, a man asks a woman for a recommendation.
- 陽葵 Himariおすすめの日本語の本はありますか？Osusume no Nihongo no hon wa arimasu ka?Do you have any recommended Japanese books?
- 蓮 Renはい、この日本語の本が面白いですよ。Hai, kono Nihongo no hon ga omoshiroi desu yo.Yes, this Japanese book is interesting.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さん、ありがとうございます。Ren-san, arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you, Ren.
- 蓮 Renいいえ、どういたしまして。Iie, dou itashimashite.You're welcome.
