の (4)

Particle (Basic ㊦ 322)

A sentence-final particle used by a female or a child to indicate an explanation or emotive emphasis.

Equivalent: It is that ~

A:どうして泣いているの？  B:お母さんがいないの。
A: How come you are crying?  B: 'Cause mommy's gone.
あの人はとても優しいの。
He is so gentle, you know.
母はまだとても元気なの。
My mother is still quite fine.
主人はエンジニアなの。
My husband is an engineer.
A:どうして食べないの？  B:お腹（が）空いて（い）ないの。
A: How come you don't eat it?  B: 'Cause I'm not hungry.
A:どうしたの？  B:頭が痛いの。
A: What's the matter with you?  B: I have a headache.
うちの子はまだ小学生なの。
My child is still in grade school.
大学はプリンストンだったの。
My university was Princeton.

Formation

(i) {V/Adjective い} informal の  
  {話す /話した} の Someone talks/talked
  {食べる /食べた} の Someone eats/ate
  {大きい /大きかった} の Something is/was big
(ii) {Adjective な stem/ Noun} {な/だった} の  
  {静かな/ 静かだった} の Something is/was quiet
  {先生な/ 先生だった} の Someone is/was a teacher

Notes

1. The sentence-final の is derived from のだ/のです through deletion of だ/です.

2. This の is used by females or children only in an informal situation. There are times when adult male speakers use の in questions, as in Examples (a) and (b), but they do not use it in declarative sentences, as in Examples (c) and (d).

【Related Expression】

The sentence-final particle の4 is the same in its meaning as の of のだ.

(⇨ のだ)