Verbs into nouns

breez · 19 Sep 2006

Does the following make any sense?

「本を読むのとテレビを見るのと、どっちのほうがたのしいですか。」

"Which is more fun, reading books or watching television?"

Earlier in the textbook was said that adding の to the present short form of a verb expresses the idea of "doing x", but it was in a different context (verbのが好き/きらい/上手/下手です). For some inexplicable reason the above sentence feels wrong/awkward.

umbaba · 19 Sep 2006

breez said:
Does the following make any sense?
「本を読むのとテレビを見るのと、どっちのほうがたのしいですか。」
"Which is more fun, reading books or watching television?"

Very natural Japanese!
and you could also say
「本を読むのとテレビを見るのと、どっちがたのしいですか」 too.

moofs · 19 Sep 2006

It's the Japanese equivalent of the English gerund.
In English: verb + ing = noun. (ie. driving, eating, playing, etc.)
In Japanese: verb + の or こと = noun. (ie. 運転すること、食べること、遊ぶこと、等等)
Works the exact same way.

I like swimming.
泳ぐのが好きです。 (I think 水泳が好きです。 is probably more common?)

音楽を聴くのが面白いです。
Listening to music is interesting.

breez · 19 Sep 2006

Thanks both of you!

Which type is more common, の or こと?

undrentide · 19 Sep 2006

breez said:
Thanks both of you!
Which type is more common, の or こと?

Both are commonly used, but の is rather colloquial compared with こと.

umbaba · 20 Sep 2006

Yes, both の and こと are used fairly equal.
In writing or formal situation on business, we tend to use こと more to make sure what we are focusing on.
の sounds a little casual, but こと is never considered too square in speaking between friends. I use both very often.

Elizabeth · 20 Sep 2006

umbaba said:
Very natural Japanese!
and you could also say
「本を読むのとテレビを見るのと、どっちがたのしいですか」 too.

In place of 見るのと、other possibilities are 「見るの（で）は」、「見るのと（で）は」 and maybe various additional ones as well. Those were just the first that came to mind.

Verbs into nouns

breez

先輩

umbaba

後輩

moofs

先輩

breez

先輩

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

umbaba

後輩

Elizabeth

先輩

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