Adding background information in Japanese

Level B2

Adding background information in Japanese

Japanese has no direct equivalent of supplementary English “who” or “which” in these examples. It can link background to the main point, add a separate sentence, or refer back to an event with それ. The examples marked polite use です／ます forms, suitable with people you do not know well or in many workplace conversations; the informal examples use plain forms for familiar conversation.

Ways to add background without translating who or which

  • 人について補足するときは、その人を主語にした文を続けるなど、文脈に合った形で表す。だが、ちなみにのように話題を変える語は使わない。(ちなみに)who
  • 物について補足するときは、その物を主語にした文や連体修飾など、文脈に合った形で表す。だが、ちなみにのように話題を変える語は使わない。(ちなみに)which
  • 前の文全体を受けて補足するときの表現。結果には「それで」など、評価には「それは」など、文脈に合った形を使う。(それで)which

Introduce a person, link the background, then give the main point

人は背景を伝える節、主な内容。

Link background about a thing or add it afterward

物は背景を伝える節、主な内容。

Follow an event with its result or your reaction

出来事を伝える文。そのため、その出来事による結果や影響。

Link background and main information while keeping the topic clear

In “姉はパリに住んでいて、今週末遊びに来ます。”, は introduces your older sister as the topic, 住んでいて links the background, and the final clause gives the main news. Japanese does not insert a word meaning “who”: it links predicates, and an understood subject need not be repeated. Similarly, “あの駅は去年開業して、もう手狭になっています。” keeps the station as the understood subject across both parts.

A clause before a noun can identify it or add background depending on context; commas do not create the English defining versus non-defining distinction. Japanese can also give the main news first and add an afterthought, as in “車がまた故障したんだ。先月買ったばかりなのに。”, where the recent purchase explains the speaker's frustration. The ます endings in the sister and station examples are polite, while んだ and the sentence ending よ in the casual examples suit familiar conversation.

Use それで for a result and それは for an evaluation

In “会議が早く終わりました。それで、その問題について話し合う時間が取れました。”, それで links the earlier event to a result: finishing early made time for discussion. The pattern's そのため also introduces a consequence and sounds more formal or explanatory than conversational それで. For an evaluation, use それは to take up the preceding situation as a topic, as in “また日程が変わったんだ。それはほんとにイライラする。”

Do not translate every English supplementary “which” with a result connector: being annoyed is a reaction to evaluate, so this example uses それは. A full stop and a spoken pause let the listener register the event before hearing its result or your reaction; ちなみに introduces an aside and is not a general replacement for these links. The meeting example uses polite ました forms, while んだ and ほんとに make the date-change example casual.

Practise this lesson

Next lessons