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I read a sentence in Naruto that challenged some of my ideas about how Japanese works, and I'd like to try and clear this up. I can only assume that アナタがピンチの時 means "when you're in a pinch". naruto #52

First of all, it looks like a relative clause modifying 時, but why isn't there a verb? Usually, when something is marked with が, that thing is the subject (or something) of a particular verb. Here, there's a verbless subject. Is the copula implied?

Secondly, could you say アナタがピンチな時 instead? How is な used in relative clauses?

Axe
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  • Related: [why is it that some 形容動詞 accepts の after it while some only accepts な after it?](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/920/542) – Flaw Mar 02 '12 at 10:29
  • Related: [So-called の-adjectives - how does の *really* work?](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/2771/542) – Flaw Mar 02 '12 at 10:32
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    Why do you think it is a relative clause? –  Mar 02 '12 at 13:55
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    Just for your reference, there are "clauses" that do not have the copula. They are technically called *small clause*. E.g., `John considers **Bill smart**.` `I heard **him sing**.` –  Mar 02 '12 at 13:58

3 Answers3

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The most straightforward way to analyze this is to regard の as a 連体形{れんたいけい} form of copula, which only comes after nouns (and の-adjectives).

あなたがピンチだ you're in a pinch
あなたがピンチの時 when you're in a pinch

明日は雨だ tomorrow it will rain
明日が雨の場合 if it rains tomorrow

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dainichi
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5

ピンチ

A pinch/crisis, noun.

ピンチの時

At the time of a pinch crisi. If ピンチ was a な-adjective, then you would say な時 instead, but since it's a noun, you must say の時.

アナタがピンチの時

Subject introduced, At the time of your pinch/crisis, or to make a smoother (slightly off) translation; When you are in a crisis. The whole clause before the は is still a noun phrase though, so that there's no verb or copula is ok.

Sorry for the dumb answer at first, I think I got it right after this edit. ;)

gibbon
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  • If あなたが is the subject of ピンチ, doesn't it have to combine with ピンチ first to create あなたがピンチ? –  Mar 02 '12 at 13:54
  • I'd rather see it as あなた being the subject of ピンチの時, which ought to be at least one correct way of interpreting it since you can always(?) switch a simple noun for a noun phrase, but correct me if I'm wrong. – gibbon Mar 02 '12 at 15:01
  • is there any way to use a phrase of the form あなたが〇〇だ (where the circles are some "no-adjective") to modify a noun, like 時, where the copula is explicit, or somehow present? or is the "pinch" example the normal/only way of doing that? – Axe Mar 03 '12 at 05:26
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    It is the normal way of modifying a noun, such as 時. With verbs you use short form (読める人), with adjectives you use short form and apply な for な-adjectives (楽しい事 / 元気な犬), and with other nouns you use の (私の車). I can't give you a reason as to why, but there is no explicit copula in your sub-clause simply because there shouldn't be one. See sawa's comment about small clauses. – gibbon Mar 03 '12 at 16:15
  • ah thanks!!! that answers my question! i wasn't looking for a reason why, i was just sort of confused if that's what was happening or not. so if i'm understanding right, "the time when you were a teacher" would be あなたが先生の時? – Axe Mar 03 '12 at 20:54
  • That's right, but one sidenote; You say *were* a teacher, but there's no tense in that clause alone. If what were to follow was put in past tense, then you would be correct in interpreting it as you wrote it. For instance; あなたが先生の時、厳しいでしたか. – gibbon Mar 03 '12 at 21:22
  • @gibbon "あなた being the subject of ピンチの時" and no verb? Also 厳しいでしたか is ungrammatical. Do you mean 厳しかったですか? – dainichi Mar 05 '12 at 00:51
  • Yes, that is most definitely what I mean. ;) My bad. And yes, why not? – gibbon Mar 05 '12 at 06:37
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Easy one:

It does not look like a relative clause, because it is not a relative clause (in Japanese nor in English). If you really must give it a grammatical label, it is a subordinate clause linked to the main clause by the subordinate conjunction "when".

As long as you don't try to make this a construct that it is not, I think it is fairly straightforward to understand:

あなたがピンチ　の時は...

[When/In times where] you are in a pinch, [main clause]

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Dave
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    アナタがピンチの時 is a subordinate clause as you say, but I think OP is referring to the relative/appositive/adjectival (not sure how/if these are distinguished) clause アナタがピンチの, which modifies 時 – dainichi Mar 08 '12 at 00:53