🎨 Adjectives & Descriptions
Japanese has two types of adjectives that follow different grammatical rules. Mastering both is essential for expressing yourself naturally.
Two Types of Adjectives
い-Adjectives (i-adjectives)
These adjectives always end in い in their basic form. The い is part of the adjective itself and changes during conjugation.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| おおきい | ookii | big |
| ちいさい | chiisai | small |
| たかい | takai | expensive / tall |
| やすい | yasui | cheap |
| あたらしい | atarashii | new |
| ふるい | furui | old (things) |
| おいしい | oishii | delicious |
| いい | ii | good |
| わるい | warui | bad |
| あつい | atsui | hot (weather) |
| さむい | samui | cold (weather) |
| おもしろい | omoshiroi | interesting / funny |
| つまらない | tsumaranai | boring |
| むずかしい | muzukashii | difficult |
| やさしい | yasashii | easy / kind |
な-Adjectives (na-adjectives)
These adjectives require な when placed before a noun. They look like nouns and don’t end in い (with some exceptions like きれい).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| げんき（な） | genki (na) | healthy / energetic |
| しずか（な） | shizuka (na) | quiet |
| にぎやか（な） | nigiyaka (na) | lively / bustling |
| きれい（な） | kirei (na) | pretty / clean |
| ゆうめい（な） | yuumei (na) | famous |
| しんせつ（な） | shinsetsu (na) | kind |
| べんり（な） | benri (na) | convenient |
| たいへん（な） | taihen (na) | tough / difficult |
| すき（な） | suki (na) | liked / favorite |
| きらい（な） | kirai (na) | disliked |
| じょうず（な） | jouzu (na) | skilled |
| へた（な） | heta (na) | unskilled |
Warning: きれい (kirei) and ゆうめい (yuumei) end in い but are な-adjectives! Don’t be fooled.
Using Adjectives Before Nouns
い-Adjectives → Place directly before the noun
おおきい くるま — A big car
おいしい すし — Delicious sushi
あたらしい ほん — A new book
な-Adjectives → Add な before the noun
しずかな まち — A quiet town
きれいな はな — A pretty flower
ゆうめいな レストラン — A famous restaurant
Conjugation — い-Adjectives
い-adjectives conjugate by modifying the い ending:
| Form | Rule | Example (たかい — expensive) |
|---|---|---|
| Present positive | たかい | たかいです (is expensive) |
| Present negative | い → くない | たかくないです (is not expensive) |
| Past positive | い → かった | たかかったです (was expensive) |
| Past negative | い → くなかった | たかくなかったです (was not expensive) |
Special Case: いい (good)
いい is irregular — it conjugates from its older form よい:
| Form | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Present positive | いいです |
| Present negative | よくないです |
| Past positive | よかったです |
| Past negative | よくなかったです |
Conjugation — な-Adjectives
な-adjectives conjugate like nouns (using です forms):
| Form | Rule | Example (しずか — quiet) |
|---|---|---|
| Present positive | しずかです | is quiet |
| Present negative | しずかじゃないです | is not quiet |
| Past positive | しずかでした | was quiet |
| Past negative | しずかじゃなかったです | was not quiet |
Expressing Likes & Dislikes
すき (suki) and きらい (kirai) are な-adjectives used with the particle が (ga):
Formula
[Topic] は [Thing] が すき/きらい です。
Examples
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| わたしは すしが すきです。 | Watashi wa sushi ga suki desu. | I like sushi. |
| わたしは さかなが きらいです。 | Watashi wa sakana ga kirai desu. | I dislike fish. |
| わたしは にほんごが だいすきです。 | Watashi wa nihongo ga daisuki desu. | I love Japanese. |
Degree modifiers:
- だいすき (daisuki) — love / like a lot
- だいきらい (daikirai) — really dislike / hate
- あまりすきじゃないです — don’t like very much
Expressing Skill Level
じょうず (jouzu) and へた (heta) describe how good/bad someone is at something:
たけしさんは テニスが じょうずです。 Takeshi-san wa tenisu ga jouzu desu. Takeshi is good at tennis.
わたしは うたが へたです。 Watashi wa uta ga heta desu. I am bad at singing.
Cultural Note: In Japanese culture, it’s considered humble to say you’re へた at something, even if you’re good. Avoid saying じょうず about yourself.
Combining Descriptions
Sequential Adjectives
To list multiple adjectives, use the て-form of adjectives (covered more in Chapter 6):
い-adjective: い → くて
やすくて おいしいです。— It’s cheap and delicious.
な-adjective: な → で
しずかで きれいです。— It’s quiet and clean.
Useful Degree Words
| Japanese | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| とても | very | とてもおいしいです (very delicious) |
| ちょっと | a little / somewhat | ちょっとたかいです (a little expensive) |
| あまり～ない | not very | あまりおおきくないです (not very big) |
| ぜんぜん～ない | not at all | ぜんぜんむずかしくないです (not difficult at all) |
Practice Exercises
- Describe 5 things around you using い-adjectives
- Conjugate おもしろい (interesting) in all 4 forms
- Likes & dislikes: Write 3 sentences about what you like and dislike using が すき/きらい
- Compare: Write sentences about a quiet restaurant vs. a lively restaurant using adjectives