Japanese Cleft Sentences: Emphasizing with 'It is... that' and 'What... is'
Learn to build Japanese cleft sentences with のは…だ and のが…だ to spotlight who, what, when, or where, moving beyond simple が emphasis.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
English uses cleft sentences like 'It was Ana who called' or 'What I need is rest' to spotlight one piece of information. Japanese does the same job with a different structure: it turns the focused element into the predicate of a だ/です sentence, often using の or こと as a nominalizer. In this lesson you will learn the two most useful patterns: [focused element] + のは/のが + … + だ/です, and the reversed order … + のは/のが + [focused element] + だ/です. These are not the same as が emphasis or こそ; they reorganize the sentence so that the new, important information sits at the end, where Japanese naturally places focus.
By the end, you can…
- identify and build Japanese cleft sentences that spotlight a person, thing, time, or place.
- choose between のは, のが, and こと based on the role of the focused element.
- use cleft sentences to correct a mistaken assumption in conversation.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
電話をかけたのはアナさんだ。
It was Ana who called.
Denwa o kaketa no wa Ana-san da.
Focuses on the person who did the action; の nominalizes the preceding clause, は marks it as topic, and アナさんだ is the new information. Note that 電話をかけた is a verb clause, so の is the natural nominalizer here.
私が欲しいのは静かな部屋だ。
What I want is a quiet room.
Watashi ga hoshii no wa shizuka na heya da.
Focuses on the thing wanted. Use の after an i-adjective or verb clause; こと is also possible but の is more natural in speech. Here 私が欲しい is an i-adjective clause, so の fits naturally.
会議が始まるのは九時だ。
It is at nine o'clock that the meeting starts.
Kaigi ga hajimaru no wa kuji da.
Focuses on the time. The time expression comes after のは and before だ. The inner clause 会議が始まる is nominalized by の, and 九時だ is the focused predicate.
彼が生まれたのは京都だ。
It was in Kyoto that he was born.
Kare ga umareta no wa Kyōto da.
Focuses on the place. This pattern is common in biographical and explanatory speech. The inner clause 彼が生まれた is nominalized by の, and 京都だ is the focused predicate.
私が欲しいのはこれだ。
What I want is this one.
Watashi ga hoshii no wa kore da.
Short, conversational cleft focusing on a demonstrative. Very common when pointing at an object. The inner clause 私が欲しい is nominalized by の, and これだ is the focused predicate.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [clause] + のは/のが + [focused element] + だ/です. The clause before の describes the situation; の turns it into a noun phrase; は or が marks it; and the focused element becomes the predicate. For example, 電話をかけたのはアナさんだ literally means 'As for the one who called, it is Ana.' The focused element can be a person, thing, time, place, or reason. When the focused element is the subject of the inner clause, のが is often used: アナさんが電話をかけたのが問題だ ('It is the fact that Ana called that is the problem'). When the focused element is the object or other role, のは is standard: 私が買ったのはこの本だ ('What I bought is this book'). Note that の and こと are nominalizers; こと is more formal and often used in writing, while の is more common in speech.
When to use it
Use cleft sentences when you want to correct a wrong assumption or highlight new information. If someone thinks Taro called, you can say 電話をかけたのはアナさんだ, not アナさんが電話をかけた, because the cleft puts アナさんだ at the end where the focus naturally falls. In writing, こと may replace の in formal contexts: 私が望むことは平和だ. In speech, の is more common. Avoid using のは with a focused element that is already the topic; in that case, a simple は sentence is better. Also note that だ/です is required at the end; dropping it makes the sentence incomplete. The focused element must be the predicate of the cleft, not the subject of the inner clause.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
昨日、誰が来たの？
Who came yesterday?Kinō, dare ga kita no?来たのは田中さんだよ。
It was Tanaka who came.Kita no wa Tanaka-san da yo.え、田中さんじゃなくて、佐藤さんじゃなかった？
Huh, wasn't it Sato, not Tanaka?E, Tanaka-san ja nakute, Satō-san ja nakatta?いや、来たのは佐藤さんじゃなくて田中さんだ。
No, it wasn't Sato who came; it was Tanaka.Iya, kita no wa Satō-san ja nakute Tanaka-san da.A little context goes a long way
Cleft sentences are common in Japanese when correcting someone politely. Directly saying 違う ('wrong') can sound blunt; using a cleft like 私が言ったのは…だ softens the correction by presenting the correct information as the focus rather than attacking the listener. In formal speech, こと and です/ます are preferred, while の and だ are typical in casual conversation. Note that politeness levels vary by context and relationship, so choose the register that fits the situation.
One thing to watch for
Using のは with a focused element that is the subject of the inner clause, as in 電話をかけたのはアナさんが instead of アナさんだ.
Try this instead: The focused element must be the predicate, so use だ/です: 電話をかけたのはアナさんだ. If you want to focus on the subject with が, use のが: アナさんが電話をかけたのが問題だ.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Make a cleft sentence focusing on 'yesterday' from: 私は昨日、本を買った。
Show a sample answer
私が本を買ったのは昨日だ。
The inner clause 私が本を買った is nominalized with の, marked by は, and the focused time 昨日 becomes the predicate with だ. 昨日に is not used here.
2Which is more natural in casual speech: 私が欲しいのは静かな部屋だ or 私が欲しいことは静かな部屋だ?
Show a sample answer
私が欲しいのは静かな部屋だ。
の is preferred in casual speech after i-adjectives and verbs. こと is more formal and often used in writing, but both are grammatically possible.
3Correct this cleft: 会議が始まるのは九時が。
Show a sample answer
会議が始まるのは九時だ。
The focused element 九時 must be followed by だ/です, not が. が would mark it as a subject, which is not the cleft pattern.
Japanese cleft sentences put the focused element at the end with だ/です, using のは or のが to nominalize the rest. Use them to correct assumptions and highlight new information naturally.
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