How to Say “The Red One” in Japanese | Using Adjective + no（〜の） to Replace Nouns

level1 (N5)

Introduction

Want to say things like:

  • “I like the red one.”
  • “I don’t like the expensive one.”
  • “I have the brown ones.”

In English, we often drop repeated nouns by replacing them with words like “one” or “ones.” Japanese does the same — and does it beautifully — using the particle:

〜の

Let’s explore how to use adjective or noun + の to sound more natural and less repetitive in Japanese conversations!

1. Grammar Structure

Pattern

Adjective/Noun (short form) + の

EnglishJapanese
I like the black car.
I like the red one, too.		黒くろい車くるまが好すきです。
赤あかいのも好きです。
I often watch Japanese movies.
I watch Chinese ones, too.		日本にほんの映画えいがをよく見みます。
中国ちゅうごくのも見ます。
A: Do you have gloves?
B: Yes, I have brown ones.		A: 手袋てぶくろを持もっていますか？
B: はい、茶色ちゃいろいのを持っています。

Think of の like “one” in English — it replaces the noun when the meaning is clear from context.

2. When to Use This Form

✅ To avoid repeating a noun that’s already been mentioned

✅ To say “this one,” “that one,” etc., but not with demonstratives like この/その/あの

✅ With:

  • い-adjectives: たかいの (expensive one)
  • な-adjectives + な: しずかなの (quiet one)
  • nouns: 日本にほんの (Japanese one)

3. Examples in Action

Replacing with adjectives:

  • 白しろい花はなが好すきです。黄色きいろいのも好すきです。
    = I like white flowers. I like yellow ones too.
  • 服ふくを買かいに行いきましたが、いいの（＝いい服ふく）がありませんでした。
    = I went to buy clothes, but there were no good ones.

Replacing noun + noun:

You can also apply this to [Noun1+ Noun2] phrases, where you can omit the second noun if it’s obvious.

  • この店みせのピザはおいしいですが、あの店のはまずいです。
    = This shop’s pizza is delicious, but that shop’s isn’t.

[この/その/あの + Noun] phrases

Note that this sentence pattern can only be used with the [Adjective/Noun + Noun] structure. It cannot be extended to [この/その/あの + Noun] phrases.

この靴くつは高たかいですが、あれのは安やすいですよ。 ❌
= × Incorrect!
この靴は高いですが、あれは安いですよ。 ✅
= This pair is expensive, but that one is cheap.

4. How to Form It

ExampleExplanation
あかいのい-adjective (あかい) + の
きれいなのな-adjective (きれい) + な + の
にほんのnoun (にほｎ) + の

Always use short form adjectives.

5. Practice Time!

Turn these into natural Japanese using の:

EnglishJapanese
I like cold food more than hot one.冷つめたい食たべ物もののほうが、熱あついのより好すきです。
A: Do you have any magazines in Japanese?
B: Sorry. We do have English ones.		A: 日本語にほんごの雑誌ざっしはありますか？
B: すみません。英語えいごのはあります。
I read Japanese novels.
I read English ones too.		日本語にほんごの小説しょうせつを読よみます。
英語えいごのも読よみます。
I bought cheap meat.
I also bought expensive one.		安やすい肉にくを買かいました。
高たかいのも買いました。

6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Q
Can I use の to replace any noun?
A

Only when the noun is already understood from context, and typically following adjectives or modifying nouns.

Q
What’s the difference between “の” and “あれ/これ/それ”?
A

の = replaces a noun that has been described or modified (e.g., 赤いの = the red one, 日本の = the Japanese one). It needs a word before it.

あれ/これ/それ = are demonstrative pronouns that stand alone to refer to “that one over there,” “this one,” or “that one near you,” respectively.

Q
Can I use this for people?
A

It’s possible, especially when distinguishing within a group (e.g., 背が高いの – the tall one), but it can sometimes sound less natural or slightly informal compared to keeping the noun (e.g., 背が高い人 – the tall person). For people, using the noun is often safer or more common.

Q
Why do な-adjectives require 「な」 before 「の」?
A

This is because when a な-adjective directly modifies a noun, it requires 「な」 (e.g., きれいな花 – a beautiful flower). Even though 「の」 is replacing the noun, it acts like a stand-in noun here, so the な-adjective follows the same rule of needing 「な」 before it when preceding this noun-like 「の」.

Q
Can I use this 「の」 after verbs?
A

No, this specific use of 「の」 (replacing a noun after an adjective or modifying noun) cannot follow a verb directly. When 「の」 follows a verb, it typically acts as a nominalizer, turning the verb phrase into a noun clause (e.g., 日本語を勉強するのが好きです – I like studying Japanese). This is a different grammatical function of the particle 「の」.

Q
What is the difference between this 「の」 and the possessive 「の」 (e.g., 私の)?
A

They are different uses of the same particle.

  • Replacement 「の」 (as covered here): Follows an adjective or modifying noun to stand in for a previously mentioned noun (e.g., 赤いの – the red one).
  • Possessive 「の」: Connects a possessor to a possessed item (e.g., 私の本 – my book).

7. Conclusion

Now you can:

✅ Replace repeated nouns using adjective + の
✅ Speak more naturally and avoid repetition
✅ Understand when to use の vs. あれ・これ

🎯 Try this:
Make 3 pairs of sentences where you use の to avoid repeating a noun.

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