Breakdown of ame no hi ni kuruma wo untensuruno ha abunai desu.
はha
topic particle
ですdesu
to be
車kuruma
car
をwo
direct object particle
のno
possessive case particle
にni
time particle
雨ame
rain
日hi
day
〜の〜no
verb nominalizer
危ないabunai
dangerous
運転するuntensuru
to drive
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Questions & Answers about ame no hi ni kuruma wo untensuruno ha abunai desu.
What does の in 雨の do?
The の in 雨の is the genitive (possessive) particle. It links two nouns—here 雨 (rain) and 日 (day)—to form 雨の⽇, literally “day of rain,” i.e. “a rainy day.”
Why is に used after 雨の日?
The particle に marks a point in time. When you attach に to 雨の日, it becomes “on a rainy day” or “when it rains.” Without に, 雨の日 is just a noun phrase; 雨の日に tells us when something happens.
Why is 車を marked with を instead of 車で?
- 車を運転する means “to operate/drive a car.” Here 車 is the direct object of 運転する, so it takes を.
- 車で～行く uses で to mean “go by car,” i.e. the means of transport. If you said 車で運転する, it would sound like “operate something by means of a car,” which is awkward. Use 車を運転する for “drive a car,” or 車で行く for “go by car.”
What is the role of の after 運転する?
That の is a nominalizer. It turns the verb phrase 車を運転する (“drive a car”) into a noun phrase 車を運転するの (“driving a car”), so you can treat the whole action as a topic or subject of the sentence and attach particles like は.
Can I replace the nominalizer の with こと? Is there any difference?
Yes. You can say:
車を運転することは危ないです。
Differences in nuance:
- の feels more conversational and concrete (“that act of driving”),
- こと is more formal/abstract and common in writing or polite speech.
In most practical cases they’re interchangeable here.
Why is は used after the nominalized clause and not が? What’s the difference between のは危ない vs のが危ない?
- ～のは危ないです。 uses は to make a general statement or fact: “As for driving a car on a rainy day, it’s dangerous.”
- ～のが危ないです。 with が often emphasizes the speaker’s personal judgement or feelings: “What’s dangerous is driving a car on a rainy day (in my opinion).”
Use は for broad, impartial statements and が when you single out or focus on the subject more personally.
Why is the adjective 危ない used here instead of the na-adjective or noun 危険?
Both convey “dangerous,” but:
- 危ない is an い-adjective and common in everyday speech.
- 危険 is a な-adjective (and also a noun) that feels more formal or literary.
You could say 危険です, but 危ないです sounds more natural in casual contexts.
Why is です added to 危ない?
Adding です makes your statement polite. In casual conversation you could simply end with 危ない. In a polite or formal context you append です to an い-adjective to soften and honor the listener.