地震で机の上のものがカタカタゆれた。

earthquake

indicates location of action; at; in; indicates time of action; indicates means of action; cause of effect; by; and then; so; indicates continuing action; indicates certainty, emphasis, etc.

desk

indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question

above; up; over; elder (e.g. daughter); top; summit; surface; on; before; previous; superiority; one's superior (i.e. one's elder); on top of that; besides; what's more; upon (further inspection, etc.); based on (and occurring after); matters concerning...; as concerns ...; since (i.e. "for that reason"); suffix indicating higher social standing; place of one's superior (i.e. the throne); emperor; sovereign; shogun; daimyo; noblewoman (esp. the wife of a nobleman)

thing; object; article; stuff; substance; one's things; possessions; property; belongings; things; something; anything; everything; nothing; quality; reason; the way of things; used to emphasize emotion, judgment, etc.; used to indicate a common occurrence in the past (after a verb in past tense); used to indicate a general tendency; used to indicate something that should happen; item classified as ...; item related to ...; work of ...; cause of ...; cause for ...; somehow; somewhat; for some reason; really; truly

indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and

clattering

to shake; to sway