Language/Japanese/Grammar/Adjectives

Japanese Grammar - Adjectives

Hi Japanese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about adjectives in Japanese. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns. Some adjectives in Japanese can also be used as verbs. Adjectives typically come before the noun they modify.

Types of Adjectives

In Japanese, adjectives can be categorized into two main types: い-adjectives (i-adjectives) and な-adjectives (na-adjectives).

い-adjectives (i-adjectives)

い-adjectives (i-adjectives) end in the い (i) sound. They are also called “consonant-stem adjectives”.

For example:

Japanese

Pronunciation

-

行 き た い

i-ki-ta-i

want to go

忙 し い

iso-ga-shi-i

busy

暑 い

a-tsu-i

hot

寒 い

sa-mu-i

cold

高 い

ta-ka-i

expensive

安 い

ya-su-i

cheap

美 味 し い

o-i-shi-i

} When conjugating い-adjectives, drop the final い (i) sound, and add the appropriate ending according to the tense or grammatical structure you want. For example: Japanese Pronunciation - 行 き た く な い i-ki-ta-ku-na-i don’t want to go 忙 しかっ た iso-ga-shi-ka-ta was busy 暑 く な い a-tsu-ku-na-i not hot 寒 く な い sa-mu-ku-na-i not cold 高 か っ た ta-ka-ka-tta was expensive 安 か っ た ya-su-ka-tta was cheap 美 味 し か っ た o-i-shi-ka-tta } な-adjectives (na-adjectives) な-adjectives (na-adjectives) are adjectives that require a な (na) before the noun they modify. They are also called “adjectival nouns”. For example: Japanese Pronunciation - き れ い な 女性 ki-re-i-na-jyo-sei beautiful woman 丈 夫 な 椅子 jyo-bu-na-i-su sturdy chair 静 か な 景色 shi-za-ka-na-ke-shiki } When conjugating な-adjectives, simply add the appropriate ending according to the tense or grammatical structure you want, without dropping any sounds as in い-adjectives. For example: Japanese Pronunciation - き れ い な 女性 だ ki-re-i-na-jyo-sei-da is a beautiful woman 丈 夫 な 椅子 だっ た jyo-bu-na-i-su-da-tta was a sturdy chair 静 か な 景色 で す shi-za-ka-na-ke-shiki-de-su } Comparatives and Superlatives In Japanese, comparatives and superlatives of adjectives are formed by adding the particles より (yori) and 一番 (i-chi-ban) respectively. For example: Japanese Pronunciation - この 魚 は あ の 魚 より おい し い ko-no-sa-ka-na-wa, a-no-sa-ka-na-yo-ri o-i-shi-i This fish is more delicious than that fish. 山田 さん は クラスで 一 番 親切 だ ya-ma-da-san-wa, ku-ra-su-de i-chi-ban shin-se-tsu da } Adjective in Action To demonstrate how adjectives work in Japanese, here is a dialogue between two people: Person 1: あの ねこ は とても ふわふわし て かわいい です 。 (Ano neko wa totemo fuwa-fuwa shite kawaii desu.) -- That cat is very fluffy and cute. Person 2: そう です ね 。 でも 、 この 犬 は ふわふわし て いい 匂い が し ますよ 。 (Sō desu ne. Demo, ko-no inu wa fuwa-fuwa shite ii nioi ga shimasu yo.) -- Yes, that's true. But this dog is fluffy and smells good. Conclusion In conclusion, adjectives in Japanese are classified into い-adjectives (i-adjectives) and な-adjectives (na-adjectives), and they are used to describe or modify nouns. To learn more about adjectives and other aspects of Japanese Grammar, visit the <a href="Japanese">Japanese</a> section of Polyglot Club. Don’t forget to find native speakers and ask them any questions. 😊 ➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below. ➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎