How to use のうち (no uchi): A Streetwise JLPT N2 Grammar Guide

gun wall

おれっている武器ぶきのうち、この金色きんいろ拳銃けんじゅう一番いちばんのおりだ。
Out of all the weapons I own, this gold-plated pistol is my favorite.

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Read the explanation below to understand the nuance of how this grammar structure is used.

The Lowdown: What is ~のうち(で)?

Listen up, fam. ~のうち(で) is how you talk about a specific selection from a group. It’s like when you got a whole lineup of snitches and you gotta point out which one’s the biggest rat. It’s used when you’re comparing things within a defined set or category. Think of it like a “Top 5 Rappers of All Time” list; you’re lookin’ at the whole game and pickin’ out the heavy hitters.

In terms of nuance, it’s formal but cold. It’s clinical. You use it when you’re being precise about your choice. If you’re talkin’ about the three shooters you sent to the block and only one came back, you’d use this to highlight that one specific survivor. It’s all about narrowing down the field.


The Metaphor: The “Lineup” Strategy

Imagine you’re the Boss, right? You got ten hitters standing against the wall in a police lineup. That whole row of guys? That’s your うち. When you point your finger and say, “That’s the guy who stole my brick,” you’re picking one out of the group.

It’s like The Usual Suspects. You got five guys in a room. うち is the room and the guys in it. The grammar is the finger you use to point at Keyser Söze. Without the group, the choice don’t mean shit.


Grammar Conjugation Guide.

Check the table below to see how we hook this up. It’s mostly about stickin’ it to nouns and numbers, keeping it real simple like a basic shake-down.

Part of SpeechRuleExampleTranslation
NounNoun + のうち(で)組織そしきのうちでOut of the organization
Number / CounterNumber + のうち(で)10にんのうちOut of 10 people
Relative ClauseVerb (Dict. Form) + のうちはたらいているうちにOut of those who are working

When you’re usin’ this, you’re usually gonna follow it up with a superlative—like “the best,” “the most,” or a specific number. You take a whole category (The Noun), slap のうち on it, and then specify the detail. Don’t fuck it up by tryin’ to use it with just one thing; you need a plural vibe or a collective noun to make it work.


Example sentences

Read and master the example sentences below.

おれ部下ぶか10にんのうち、3にん警察けいさつのスパイだ。
Out of my ten subordinates, three of them are police snitches.

押収おうしゅうされたドラッグのうち、半分はんぶんがただの小麦粉こむぎこだった。
Out of the drugs that were seized, half of them were just straight flour.

昨日きのうぬすんだくるま5だいのうち、3だいはガソリンがはいっていなかった。
Out of the five cars we boosted yesterday, three didn’t have any damn gas.

裏切うらぎもののうち、命拾いのちびろいしたのはたったひとだけだ。
Out of the traitors, only one was lucky enough to keep his life.

100けん強盗ごうとう計画けいかくのうち、成功せいこうしたのはわずか10けんだ。
Out of 100 robbery plans, only 10 of ’em actually worked.

あつまった上納じょうのうきんのうち、ボスにわたすのはこれだけか?
Out of the tribute money we collected, is this all you’re givin’ to the Boss?

おれいままでにかかわった犯罪はんざいのうち、これが一番いちばん派手はで仕事しごとだ。 Out of all the crimes I’ve been involved in, this is the flashiest job yet.

逃走とうそう経路けいろのうちで、一番いちばん安全あんぜんなのは地下道ちかどうだ。
Out of the escape routes, the safest one is the underground tunnel.

あのラッパーがっていることのうち、真実しんじつひとつもない。
Out of all the shit that rapper is saying, not a single word is true.

ヒットマンの候補こうほのうち、一番いちばんうでがいいのはだれだ?
Out of the candidates for the hitman job, who’s got the best aim?


Stay dangerous.

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