Ryoko Popjoy
October 7, 2009
Review of Our Lesson
October 5, 2009
There are two kinds of Japanese adjectives, namely, "-na adjectives" and "-i adjectives. A few examples
of the "-na adjectives" are (see p. 114 of our textbook):
Nigiyakana (lively), shizukana (quiet), benrina (convenient), yūmeina (famous), kireina (pretty, clean),
shinsetsuna (kind, helpful), and himana (free, not busy). They modify nouns just like in English.
Nigiyakana kōen = A lively park
Shizukana onna no hito = A quiet woman
Benrina depāto = A convenient department store
Yūmeina e = A famous painting
Kireina hana = Pretty flowers
Shinsetsuna otoko no hito = A kind man
Himana shigoto = Idle work
One peculiar thing about these "-na adjectives" is that they take different forms in a sentence (or they are
inflected) in the same manner as "desu," with which you are quite familiar. The different forms of "desu"
are given at the beginning of our textbook on page 2, as follows:
Affirmative
desu
is
Present Form
Negative
dewa arimasen
is not
Affirmative
deshita
was
Past Form
Negative
dewa arimasendeshita
was not
As I mentioned earlier, "desu" is not the English verb "is," per se, but it functions as if it were the verb
"is."
Gurei-san wa bengoshi desu.
=
Mr. Grey is an attorney.
Gurei-san wa bengoshi dewa arimasen.
=
Mr. Grey is not an attorney.
Gurei-san wa bengoshi deshita.
=
Mr. Grey was (or used to be) an attorney.
Gurei-san wa bengoshi dewa arimasendeshita.
=
Mr. Grey was not an attorney.
Recognize how these "-na adjectives" inflect quite similarly to "desu." Note also that the Japanese word
for "na adjective" is "keiyō dōshi," where " keiyō" means an "adjective," and " dōshi" means a "verb."
Dictionary form /
Modifies noun
Nigiyakana
(lively)
Shizukana
(quiet)
Benrina
(convenient)
Yūmeina
(famous)
Predicate Present
Affirmative
Negative
Nigiyaka desu
Nigiyaka dewa arimasen
(It is lively)
(It is not lively)
Shizuka desu
Shizuka dewa arimasen
(It is quiet)
(It is not quiet)
Benri desu
Benri dewa arimasen
(It is convenient) (It is not convenient)
Yūmei desu
Yūmei dewa arimasen
(It is famous)
(It is not famous)
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Affirmative
Nigiyaka deshita
(It was lively)
Shizuka deshita
(It was quiet)
Benri deshita
(It was convenient)
Yūmei deshita
(It was famous)
Predicate Past
Negative
Nigiyaka dewa arimasendeshita
(It was not lively)
Shizuka dewa arimasendeshita
(It was not quiet)
Benri dewa arimasendeshita
(It was not convenient)
Yūmei dewa arimasendeshita
(It was not famous)
Dictionary form /
Modifies noun
Kireina
(pretty/clean)
Shinsetsuna
(kind)
Himana
(idle)
Predicate Present
Affirmative
Negative
Kirei desu
Kirei dewa arimasen
She/it is pretty
She/it is not pretty
Shinsetsu desu
Shinsetsu dewa arimasen
(He/she is kind) (He/she is not kind)
Hima desu
Hima dewa arimasen
(He/she is idle)
(He/she is not idle)
Affirmative
Kirei deshita
She/it was pretty
Shinsetsu deshita
(He/she was kind)
Hima deshita
(He/she was idle)
Predicate Past
Negative
Kirei dewa arimasendeshita
She/it was not pretty
Shinsetsu dewa arimasendeshita
(He/she was not kind)
Hima dewa arimasendeshita
(He/she was not idle)
Some examples of the "-i adjectives" are given on p. 113 of our textbook. Here are the different forms of
those adjectives, showing different inflections:
Modifies
Predicate Present
Predicate Past
noun
Affirmative
Negative
Affirmative (*)
Negative
Ōkii
Ōkii desu
Ōkikunai desu/Ōkikuarimasen
Ōkikatta
Ōkiku arimasendeshita
(big)
(It is big)
(It is not big)
(It was big)
(It was not big)
Chiisai
Chiisai desu
Chiisakunai desu/Chiisakuarimasen Chiisakatta
Chiisaku arimasendeshita
(small)
(It is small)
(It is not small)
(It was small)
(It was not small)
Takai
Takai desu
Takakunai desu/Takakuarimasen
Takakatta
Takaku arimasendeshita
(expensive) (It is expensive) (It is not expensive)
(It was expensive)
(It was not expensive)
Yasui
Yasui desu
Yasukunai desu/Yasukuarimasen
Yasukatta
Yasuku arimasendeshita
(inexpensive)
(It is inexpensive)
(It is not inexpensive)
(It was inexpensive) (It was not inexpensive)
Atarashii
Atarashii desu
Atarashikunai desu/Atarashikuarimasen Atarashikatta
Atarashiku arimasendeshita
(new)
(It is new)
(It is not new)
(It was new)
(It was not new)
Furui
Furui desu
Furukunai desu/Furukuarimasen
Furukatta
Furuku arimasendeshita
(old)
(It is old)
(It is not old)
(It was old)
(It was not old)
Chikai
Chikai desu
Chikakunai desu/Chikakuarimasen Chikakatta
Chikaku arimasendeshita
(near)
(It's near)
(It is not near)
(It was near)
(It was not near)
Tōi
Tōidesu
Tōkunai desu/ Tōkuarimasen
Tōkatta
Tōku arimasendeshita
(far)
(It is far)
(It is not far)
(It was far)
(It was not far)
Muzukashii Muzukashiidesu Muzukashikunai desu/
Muzukashikatta Muzukashiku
(difficult)
(It's difficult)
Muzukashikuarimasen (It's not...) (It was difficult) arimasendeshita (It was not...)
Yasashii
Yasashii desu
Yasashikunai desu/
Yasashikatta
Yasashiku arimasendeshita
(easy)
(It is easy)
Yassashikuarimasen (It's not...)
(It was easy)
(It was not easy)
Amai
Amai desu
Amakunai desu/Amakuarimasen
Amakatta
Amaku arimasendeshita
(sweet)
(It is sweet)
(It is not sweet)
(It was sweet)
(It was not sweet)
Karai
Karai desu
Karakunai desu/Karakuarimasen
Karakatta
Karaku arimasendeshita
(spicy)
(It is spicy)
(It is not spicy)
(It was spicy)
(It was not spicy)
Atsui
Atsui desu
Atsukunai desu/Atsukuarimasen
Atsukatta
Atsuku arimasendeshita
(hot)
(It is hot)
(It is not hot)
(It was hot)
(It was not hot)
Samui
Samui desu
Samukunai desu/Samukuarimasen
Samukatta
Samuku arimasendeshita
(cold)
(It is cold)
(It is not cold)
(It was cold)
(It was not cold)
Ii/Yoi
Ii desu
Yokunai desu/Yokuarimasen
Yokatta
Yoku arimasendeshita
(good)
(It's good)
(It's not good)
(It was good)
(It was not good)
Omoshiroi
Omoshiroi desu Omoshirokunai desu/
Omoshirokatta
Omoshiroku arimasendeshita
(interesting) (It's interesting)
Omoshirokuarimasen (It's not...)
(It was ...)
(It wasn't interesting)
Isogashii
Isogashii desu
Isogashikunai desu/
Isogashikatta
Isogashiku arimasendeshita
Isogashikuarimasen
Oishii
Oishii desu
Oishikunai desu/Oishikuarimasen
Oishikatta
Oishiku arimasendeshita
*
I will additionally explain in class about the "Affirmative Predicate Past" form of these
"-i adjectives," such as Ōkikatta, Takakatta, etc.
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