Combinatorical relative clauses


I have 3 sentences, each with relative clause as follows. By considering the
English translation, is my understanding correct?

> **A** : 私が好きな女性はたばこを吸わない。
>
> **A'** : The woman who likes me does not smoke.
>
> **B** : 私は好きな女性がたばこを吸わない。
>
> **B'** : The woman I like does not smoke.
>
> **C** : 私はたばこを吸わない女性が好きだ。
>
> **C'** : I like women who don't smoke.




**A** can have two meanings.  
One is the meaning of **A'** , the other is of **B'**.  
Actually, I took **A** as the same meaning as **B'** when I read at first.  
  
When you say "歌{うた}が好{す}きな彼{かれ}が...", I understand that as "he who likes
songs...". However, if you say "彼が好きな歌が..." I take it as "a song or songs he
likes..."

Generally, "Xが好きなY" has different shades of meaning depending on the context.  
In this case, you probably get the right meaning easily because a song cannot
like someone.  

However, using "私が好きな女性" would embarrass you because I may like a woman, and a
woman also may like me.

To avoid misunderstanding:

>   1. To express "a woman that likes me", almost all Japanese use のこと:  
> "私 **のこと** が好きな女性"
>
>   2. To express "a woman who I like", some use の instead of が:  
> ''私 **の** 好きな女性''
>
>

By the way, sentence **B** is not natural. "私が好きな女性は" or "私の好きな女性は" is more
natural.

* * *

Furthermore, **C** also may have two meanings.

>   1. I generally prefer women who don't smoke. (This is the interpretation
> **C'** you gave, isn't this?)
>   2. I like a woman who doesn't smoke (whose name is XXX. I.e. a particular
> woman).
>

If you'd like to disambiguate them, you can say ''たばこを吸わない女性 **のほう** が好きだ''
for situation 1 above, and ''たばこを吸わない女性 **のこと** が好きだ'' for situation 2.

* * *

Summary

  * Xが好きなY -> Y that X likes, or Y that likes X. 
  * Xの好きなY -> Y that X likes. 
  * Xのことが好きなY -> Y that likes X.




**A** can have two meanings.  
One is the meaning of **A'** , the other is of **B'**.  
Actually, I took **A** as the same meaning as **B'** when I read at first.  
  
When you say "歌{うた}が好{す}きな彼{かれ}が...", I understand that as "he who likes
songs...". However, if you say "彼が好きな歌が..." I take it as "a song or songs he
likes..."

Generally, "Xが好きなY" has different shades of meaning depending on the context.  
In this case, you probably get the right meaning easily because a song cannot
like someone.  

However, using "私が好きな女性" would embarrass you because I may like a woman, and a
woman also may like me.

To avoid misunderstanding:

>   1. To express "a woman that likes me", almost all Japanese use のこと:  
> "私 **のこと** が好きな女性"
>
>   2. To express "a woman who I like", some use の instead of が:  
> ''私 **の** 好きな女性''
>
>

By the way, sentence **B** is not natural. "私が好きな女性は" or "私の好きな女性は" is more
natural.

* * *

Furthermore, **C** also may have two meanings.

>   1. I generally prefer women who don't smoke. (This is the interpretation
> **C'** you gave, isn't this?)
>   2. I like a woman who doesn't smoke (whose name is XXX. I.e. a particular
> woman).
>

If you'd like to disambiguate them, you can say ''たばこを吸わない女性 **のほう** が好きだ''
for situation 1 above, and ''たばこを吸わない女性 **のこと** が好きだ'' for situation 2.

* * *

Summary

  * Xが好きなY -> Y that X likes, or Y that likes X. 
  * Xの好きなY -> Y that X likes. 
  * Xのことが好きなY -> Y that likes X.

