noun + の + adjective


I've seen a couple times examples of using this format of [noun] の [adjective]
and I mostly see it in the form ~の高い

Some specifics I'm referring to are: 人気の高い 柔軟性の高い

I can't think of any more off the top of my head; I encounter it most
frequently with 人気の高い

Why isn't が used there? Or I've even heard 人気のある[noun]

Any insight into this would really help out. Thanks!




In these phrases, の and が are indeed 100% interchangeable as far as
grammatical correctness is concerned.

Native speakers, however, often prefer using の because to us, の simply sounds
softer and nicer than が. In "properly spoken Japanese", the 「が」 in phrases
such as [人気]{にんき}が[高]{たか}い and [柔軟性]{じゅうなんせい}がある、should be pronounced using
the velar nasal G instead of the accute G used for the 「が」 in 「[学校]{がっこう}」
and「[外国]{がいこく}」. In other words, using 「の」 saves us the trouble of producing
the velar nasal or producing the accute G by mistake.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVTrteqg_e4>

My first-grade teacher was particularly strict about the two G sounds in
Japanese, so I could "discuss" this even after so many years, but when I tell
Japanese-learners about this, 95% of them usually have no idea whatsoever what
I am talking about.

