konsento ga hitotsu shika nai heya wa, enchoukoodo ga nai to fuben desu.

topic particle

Breakdown of konsento ga hitotsu shika nai heya wa, enchoukoodo ga nai to fuben desu.

• です: to be
• が: subject particle
• と: conditional particle

Questions & Answers about konsento ga hitotsu shika nai heya wa, enchoukoodo ga nai to fuben desu.

What is the basic structure of this sentence?

It breaks down like this:

• コンセントが一つしかない部屋 = a room that has only one outlet
• は = marks that room as the topic
• 延長コードがないと = if there is no extension cord
• 不便です = it is inconvenient

So the sentence is:

• [A room that has only one outlet]
  • is inconvenient
    • if there is no extension cord

A very natural English rearrangement is:

• A room with only one outlet is inconvenient without an extension cord.

How does コンセントが一つしかない部屋 mean a room that has only one outlet?

This is a relative clause, which in Japanese comes before the noun it modifies.

So:

• コンセントが一つしかない = has only one outlet
• 部屋 = room

Put together:

• コンセントが一つしかない部屋 = a room that has only one outlet

Japanese does not need words like that, which, or who here.
The verb phrase simply goes before the noun.

Compare:

• 本を読む人 = a person who reads books
• 日本にある店 = a store that is in Japan
• コンセントが一つしかない部屋 = a room that has only one outlet

Why is しか used with ない?