Nominalization of suru verbs

Japanese Language Questions
1

I was given this example sentence on iknow:
このソフトで日本語を勉強することができます。

Since 勉強 is already a noun, is it really necessary to use 勉強すること? Would using 勉強 directly mean exactly the same thing, mean something different, or be incorrect?

2

It’s the difference between “the activity of studying” and “studying”, at least that’s the way I’ve understood it.

2 Likes
3

AFAIK, you could say it in either way:

  1. :white_check_mark: 「このソフトで日本語を勉強することができます」

  2. :white_check_mark: 「このソフトで日本語の勉強ができます」

  3. :negative_squared_cross_mark: 「このソフトで日本語の勉強することができます」

  4. :negative_squared_cross_mark: 「このソフトで日本語を勉強ができます」

In [1] you are using the verb 「勉強する」, so you’ll have to nominalise it. In [2] you are using the noun (notice the particle before it), so you don’t have to.

Numbers [3] and [4] would be wrong because of the mismatch between the particle and what comes after.

1 Like
4

Ah, I see. I hadn’t considered that you’d have to change the particle.

5

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