nihongo no hyougen no haba ga hirogarimasu.

The range of Japanese expressions expands.

Breakdown of nihongo no hyougen no haba ga hirogarimasu.

• 日に本ほん語ご: Japanese (language)
• が: subject particle
• の: possessive case particle
• 表現ひょうげん: expression
• 幅はば: range
• 広ひろがる: to expand

Questions & Answers about nihongo no hyougen no haba ga hirogarimasu.

Why are there two の particles in 日本語の表現の幅? How should I understand this structure in English?

日本語の表現の幅 is basically a chain of possessive/of-relationships, just like in English:

• 日本語 = Japanese (language)
• 日本語の表現 = expressions of Japanese / expressions in Japanese
• 日本語の表現の幅 = the range/width of expressions in Japanese

So you can think of it like:

(Japanese) language → its expressions → their range

In English we might say:

• the range of (your) Japanese expressions
• the range of expression in Japanese

Using multiple の like this is very common in Japanese; it just stacks possessive/qualifying relationships.

What does 幅 (はば) literally mean here, and why is it used instead of just saying 日本語の表現が広がります?

Literally, 幅 means width (like the width of a road or a table). By extension, it means:

• range, breadth, variety

In abstract contexts like language, 表現の幅 means:

• the range/breadth of expressions you can use
• how many different kinds of ways you can express yourself

If you said 日本語の表現が広がります, it sounds more like:

• The expressions of Japanese will spread/expand (a bit vague or odd in isolation)

By adding 幅, you clearly talk about the range of what you can do in Japanese, which is exactly what English expresses with range of expression or variety of expressions.

Why is が used instead of は in 幅が広がります? Could I say 幅は広がります?

Both が and は are possible, but they have different nuances.

• 幅が広がります。

  • が marks 幅 as the grammatical subject.
  • Focuses on the event or change (the range is what will expand).
  • Neutral, factual description: “The range (will) expand(s).”

• 幅は広がります。

  • は marks 幅 as the topic (“as for the range...”).
  • Implies a contrast or a shift of topic:
    
    • e.g. 語彙は増えませんが、表現の幅は広がります。
      Your vocabulary won’t increase, but the range of your expressions will expand.

In isolation (as a standalone explanation sentence), 幅が広がります is more natural because it simply states what will happen.

What is the difference between 広がります and 広げます? When do I use which?

This is the classic intransitive vs transitive pair:

• 広がる (intransitive) – “to spread/expand/widen” (something expands by itself or is seen as expanding)

  • 表現の幅が広がります。
    
    • The range of expressions expands.

• 広げる (transitive) – “to spread/expand/widen (something)” (someone does the expanding)

  • 表現の幅を広げます。
    
    • You (or someone) expand(s) your range of expressions.

In your sentence:

• 幅が広がります。 = The range (naturally) expands / will expand (as a result of studying, practice, etc.).
• If a teacher wants to emphasize your action, they might say:
  この勉強で、日本語の表現の幅を広げましょう。
  With this study, let’s expand your range of Japanese expressions.

There is no word for “your” in the Japanese sentence. How do we know it means “your range of expressions”?

Japanese often omits possessives like my/your/his/her when they’re clear from context.

• 日本語の表現の幅が広がります。 literally just says
  “The range of (Japanese) expressions will expand.”

In a typical context (e.g. a teacher talking to a student, or a textbook describing what will happen if you learn something), it’s naturally understood as:

• “Your range of expressions in Japanese will expand.”

If you really wanted to make the possessor explicit, you could say:

• あなたの日本語の表現の幅が広がります。
  (grammatically fine, but あなたの is often unnecessary and can sound a bit stiff or overly pointed)

So Japanese relies heavily on context and leaves out “your” unless it’s needed to avoid ambiguity.

Does 広がります here mean future (“will expand”) or present (“expands”)? How do I know?

The polite non-past form 広がります can cover:

• general present: “(It) expands (in general).”
• future: “(It) will expand.”

In context like:

• A textbook explaining the effect of studying a certain grammar point
• A teacher saying what will happen if you continue learning

…it’s usually understood as future result:

• “(As a result of this) your range of expressions *will expand.”*

There’s no separate future tense in Japanese; non-past (〜ます / 〜る) covers both general truths and future, and context decides which is intended.

Is 日本語の表現 a fixed phrase? Does it mean “Japanese expressions” or “expression in Japanese”?

日本語の表現 is not a set idiom; it’s a straightforward A の B structure:

• 日本語 = Japanese (language)
• 表現 = expression / way of expressing something

So 日本語の表現 can be interpreted as:

• expressions in Japanese
• Japanese expressions
• ways of expressing things in Japanese

It’s a very natural and common way to talk about how something is said, phrased, or expressed in Japanese:

• この日本語の表現は少し硬いです。
  This Japanese expression is a bit formal.

• 日本語の表現を勉強しています。
  I’m studying Japanese expressions/ways of saying things in Japanese.

Could I say 日本語の表現力が広がります instead? What’s the difference between 表現の幅 and 表現力?

You could say:

• 日本語の表現力が広がります。

and it would be understandable, but normally we say:

• 日本語の表現力が高まります / 伸びます / つきます。
  (your expressive ability increases / develops / improves)

Differences:

• 表現の幅
  
  • Literally: the width/range of expression
  • Focuses on variety: how many different kinds of expressions you can use.
• 表現力
  
  • Literally: expressive power/ability
  • Focuses on skill: how good/effective you are at expressing yourself.

So:

• 表現の幅が広がります。
  → You’ll have more variety in how you can say things.
• 表現力が高まります。
  → Your ability to express yourself will improve.

The original sentence is specifically about breadth/variety, so 表現の幅 is a very natural choice.

Why is the order 日本語の表現の幅 and not something like 表現の日本語の幅? Is word order flexible here?

In this kind of A の B の C structure, Japanese word order is not very flexible. The modifying elements come before what they modify, step by step.

• 日本語の表現 = expressions of Japanese
• (日本語の表現)の幅 = the range of (those) expressions

If you tried something like:

• 表現の日本語の幅 – this does not make sense; it breaks the logical modifier chain.

So the natural and grammatical order is:

1. 日本語 modifies 表現 → 日本語の表現
2. 日本語の表現 modifies 幅 → 日本語の表現の幅

The most important noun (幅, “range”) is at the end, with all its modifiers stacked before it. That’s a core pattern of Japanese noun phrases.