Formal Connectors
Formal Expression for Structural Composition
The formal Japanese grammar pattern ～からなる is used to express that a whole entity is made up of specific parts, elements, or members. It appears frequently in academic texts, news, and official documents to objectively describe the composition of organizations, exams, or structures. Unlike expressions for physical materials, it is typically reserved for abstract or structural components rather than everyday physical ingredients.
01Main Functions
Describing Organizational Composition
States the members or groups that form an organization, committee, or team.
この委員会は五人の専門家からなる。
This committee consists of five experts.
Describing Structural Elements
Explains the distinct sections, chapters, or parts that make up a document, exam, or system.
試験は三つの部分からなる。
The exam consists of three parts.
Describing Geographical Composition
Details the physical entities, such as islands or regions, that constitute a larger geographical area like a country.
日本は多くの島からなる国です。
Japan is a country consisting of many islands.
02Sentence Pattern
noun + と + noun + からなる
水は水素と酸素からなる。
Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
The pattern attaches directly to the nouns representing the constituent parts. Here, it objectively states scientific composition at the end of a sentence.
noun + からなる + noun
日本は多くの島からなる国です。
Japan is a country consisting of many islands.
When modifying another noun, からなる directly precedes the noun it modifies, acting as a descriptive clause.
noun + からなっている
このチームは十人の選手からなっている。
This team is made up of ten players.
The continuing state form からなっている is very common when the pattern serves as the main predicate at the end of a sentence to describe an ongoing composition.
noun + からなります
第一部は三つの章からなります。
Part one consists of three chapters.
In formal presentations or polite speech, the ます-form からなります can be used to politely state the structure of a document or presentation.
noun + からなっていた
昔の町は三つの村からなっていた。
The old town was made up of three villages.
The past tense form からなっていた is used to describe the composition of something as it existed or was structured in the past.
noun + からなる + noun + が + verb
専門家からなる委員会が作られた。
A committee consisting of experts was created.
When placed directly before a noun, it details exactly who or what makes up the following organizational entity.
noun + と + noun + からなっている
この試験は筆記と面接からなっている。
This exam consists of a written test and an interview.
It is highly natural for describing the structure of events, processes, or systems, such as the different sections of an examination.
03Example Sentences
この委員会は五人の専門家からなっている。
This committee consists of five experts.
The continuing state form からなっている is natural when describing the ongoing makeup of an organization at the end of a sentence.
日本は多くの島からなる国です。
Japan is a country consisting of many islands.
When placed directly before a noun, からなる acts as a descriptive clause explaining the composition of the following noun.
専門家からなるチームが結成された。
A team consisting of experts was formed.
The pattern often modifies nouns like チーム, meaning “team,” or 委員会, meaning “committee,” to define exactly who belongs to the group.
水は水素と酸素からなる。
Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
Often used in academic or scientific contexts to state objective facts about chemical or physical composition.
この試験は筆記と面接からなっている。
This exam consists of a written test and an interview.
Useful for describing the structural elements of events or processes, such as the distinct sections of a test.
この本は三つの章からなります。
This book consists of three chapters.
The polite ます-form からなります is used in formal presentations or polite speech to outline the structure of a document.
議会は上院と下院からなっている。
The parliament consists of an upper house and a lower house.
Commonly used in political and news contexts to describe the structure of governmental bodies.
私たちの体はたくさんの細胞からなっています。
Our bodies are made up of many cells.
Uses the polite continuous state form to describe an ongoing scientific fact to an audience.
複数の部署からなるプロジェクトチームが発足した。
A project team consisting of multiple departments was launched.
A highly formal, written-style sentence typical of business announcements or news.
昔の町は三つの村からなっていた。
The old town was made up of three villages.
The past tense form からなっていた is used to describe how an entity was structured in the past.
太陽系は八つの惑星からなる。
The solar system consists of eight planets.
The plain dictionary form からなる can also be used as the main predicate to state timeless scientific truths.
この音楽は単純なリズムとメロディーからなっている。
This music is composed of a simple rhythm and melody.
Describes the abstract structural components of a piece of art or music.
その国は三つの民族からなる。
That country is composed of three ethnic groups.
Describes the demographic composition of a nation or region.
04Comparisons
～からなる vs. ～でできている
Both grammar points express what something is made of. However, ～でできている is used for physical materials and ingredients in everyday contexts (like a desk made of wood or a cake made of sugar). In contrast, ～からなる is a highly formal expression used to describe the constituent parts, structural elements, or members of an abstract entity (like an organization, an exam, or a scientific composition).
この机は木でできている。
This desk is made of wood.
委員会は五人の専門家からなる。
The committee consists of five experts.
～からなる vs. ～からなっている
Both forms come from the same pattern and mean "consists of." ～からなる is frequently used as a direct modifier immediately before a noun (e.g., noun A + からなる + noun B) or as a timeless factual statement. On the other hand, the continuing state form ～からなっている is more commonly used when acting as the main predicate at the end of a sentence to emphasize the ongoing composition of the subject.
専門家からなるチームが作られた。
A team consisting of experts was created.
このチームは十人の専門家からなっている。
This team is made up of ten experts.
05Nuance and Usage
The grammar pattern ～からなる is a highly formal, written-style Japanese expression used to describe the composition or structure of a whole entity. It conveys a strong sense of objectivity and is most frequently found in academic papers, news reports, legal documents, and official presentations. When you use this pattern, you are stating a factual breakdown of elements, such as the chapters of a book, the members of a committee, or the distinct regions of a country.
Because it emphasizes constituent parts and abstract structures rather than physical substance, ～からなる feels unnatural when applied to everyday objects and their physical materials. For example, describing a wooden desk or the ingredients of a baked cake with からなる sounds overly dramatic and mismatched. For everyday physical materials, the standard expression is ～でできている.
Syntactically, からなる is highly versatile. It often functions as a noun modifier, placed immediately before the noun it describes to create phrases like 専門家からなるチーム, meaning "a team consisting of experts." When the composition is stated as the main predicate at the end of a sentence, it is very common to use the continuing state form ～からなっている. This emphasizes that the structural makeup is a current, ongoing reality.
06Core Explanation
The formal Japanese grammar pattern ～からなる is used to express that a whole entity is made up of specific parts, elements, or members.
The pattern ～からなる is an upper-intermediate Japanese expression used to define the composition of a whole. It translates roughly to "consists of," "is made up of," or "is composed of." By attaching directly to a noun representing the parts, elements, or members, it objectively states what builds the larger structure.
You will most often encounter ～からなる in formal and written contexts. It frequently appears in news reports, academic papers, official documents, and formal presentations. Because of its highly objective tone, it is perfectly suited for describing the structure of organizations, the format of examinations, or the scientific makeup of substances.
Grammatically, the pattern is straightforward: It attaches directly to a noun. It has two primary syntactic roles. First, it can act as a direct noun modifier, placing the composition immediately before the noun it describes, as in 多くの島からなる国, meaning "a country consisting of many islands."
Second, when used as the main predicate at the end of a sentence, it often takes the continuing state form ～からなっている. While you can grammatically end a sentence with the plain dictionary form からなる, using からなっている emphasizes that the structural composition is an ongoing, current state, which sounds very natural in explanations.
A common mistake for learners is using ～からなる for everyday physical materials. For instance, if you want to say "this desk is made of wood," using ～からなる sounds unnaturally formal and abstract. Instead, physical materials used in everyday crafting or construction should be described using ～でできている. Reserve ～からなる for structural components, organized groups, and formal compositions.
07Common Mistakes
Wrong
このケーキは卵と砂糖からなる。
Correct
このケーキは卵と砂糖でできている。
Why: The expression からなる is too formal and abstract for describing the physical ingredients of everyday cooking or crafting. Use でできている instead.
Wrong
水は水素と酸素になる。
Correct
水は水素と酸素からなる。
Why: The verb になる means "to become," indicating a change of state. To say "consists of" or "is composed of," you must use the particle から to form からなる.
Wrong
多くの島からのなる国です。
Correct
多くの島からなる国です。
Why: The pattern からなる attaches directly to the preceding noun without the particle の in between.
Wrong
第一部は三つの章だからなります。
Correct
第一部は三つの章からなります。
Why: The pattern attaches directly to a noun. You do not need to add the copula だ before からなる.
Wrong
この車は鉄からなる。
Correct
この車は鉄でできている。
Why: The pattern からなる implies that the subject is made up of multiple constituent parts, members, or structural elements. For describing something made from a single physical material, でできている is the natural choice.
Wrong
五人の専門家でなる委員会。
Correct
五人の専門家からなる委員会。
Why: The fixed expression for "consisting of" is からなる, using the particle から to indicate the source or components. Using でなる is ungrammatical here.
08Questions
Can I use ～からなる for recipes or cooking ingredients?
No, it sounds unnaturally formal and abstract. For everyday ingredients or physical materials, use ～でできている, meaning "is made of," or simply state that the item contains those ingredients.
What is the difference between ～からなる and ～からなっている?
Both mean "consists of." ～からなる is frequently used as a direct modifier right before a noun (e.g., 三つの部分からなる試験, an exam consisting of three parts) or as a timeless factual statement. ～からなっている is the continuing state form and is typically used as the main predicate at the end of a sentence to describe how something is currently structured.
Do I need to add の or だ before からなる?
No, からなる attaches directly to the noun representing the parts or elements. You say 島からなる, meaning "consisting of islands," not 島からのなる or 島だからなる.
09Mini Practice
- 01
この委員会は五人の専門家（ ）なっている。
- 02
日本は多くの島（ ）国です。
- 03
(Explaining a cake recipe to a friend) このケーキは卵と砂糖からなっています。
- 04
The solar system consists of eight planets.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
- 05
この試験は筆記と面接（ ）。
- 06
複数の部署（ ）プロジェクトチームが発足した。
- 07
(In an academic presentation) 第一部は三つの章からなります。
- 08
This music is composed of a simple rhythm and melody.
Tap the pieces in the correct order.
Summary
Learner Summary
- The formal Japanese grammar pattern ～からなる means "consists of," "is composed of," or "is made up of."
- It attaches directly to a noun representing the constituent parts, members, or elements of a whole.
- It is commonly used in formal, academic, and written contexts to objectively describe organizations, systems, or scientific compositions.
- When used before a noun, it acts as a descriptive modifier (e.g., 専門家からなるチーム, a team consisting of experts).
- When used as the main predicate at the end of a sentence, it often takes the continuing state form ～からなっている to emphasize the ongoing structural makeup.
- Do not use ～からなる for everyday physical materials or recipes; use ～でできている instead.
10Study Map
Study Info
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