Which particle is the best fit?

4 comments

1. Can you provide the options if “no” isn’t one? That was my gut reaction too.

2. が or の both work

3. This is called a relative clause in English, In English you’d need a word to link the relative clause to the noun, and the relative clause come after the noun in describes

   The cooking “that” my mother makes is delicious

   In Japanese the equivalent to the relative clause comes before the noun it describes and doesn’t need any words in between

   母が作る料理は美味しいです

   In case of Relative clauses in Japanese the Doer can be marked with either の or が

   So this is a valid alternative, 母の作る料理は美味しいです

4. の or が.

   の is a bit more literary sounding, and personally I’d use it of が is used later in the sentence in a place where it can’t be substituted as nicely,

   冷蔵庫には母の作った料理がいっぱいあります。There is a lot of food which my mother cooked in the refrigerator.

   Here がある is part of the main sentence (there is food on the refrigerator), so the imbedded clause takes の.

   が is used in a subordinate clause or an imbedded clause to make a tighter connection between that clause’s subject and noun.

   私は母が作った料理を食べました。I ate the food which my mother made.

   母が帰ってきた時、僕はカレーを作った。When my mom came home, I made curry.