Adjectives and Descriptions

This lesson introduces the two Japanese adjective groups. You will describe people, places, and things, put adjectives before nouns, ask for impressions, and join two simple descriptions.

Before You Start: な-Adjectives and い-Adjectives

Description

Japanese adjectives belong to two groups. A な-adjective uses な before a noun, while an い-adjective keeps its final い. The word きれい is a な-adjective even though it ends in the hiragana い.

Examples

Usage Notes

• Learn each new adjective together with its group.
• The final い is part of an い-adjective. Do not decide the group from spelling alone because words such as きれい are な-adjectives.

[Noun] は [な-Adjective] です / [い-Adjective] です

Description

Put an adjective before です to describe the topic marked by は. A な-adjective does not use な before です; an い-adjective keeps its final い.

Examples

Usage Notes

• Say 静かです, not 静かなです.
• Questions use the familiar か: この町はにぎやかですか。

Present Negative Adjective Sentences

Description

For a な-adjective, add じゃありません. For an い-adjective, remove the final い and add くないです. The negative of いいです is the irregular form よくないです.

Examples

Usage Notes

• The more formal ではありません can replace じゃありません.
• When answering an adjective question, repeat the adjective: はい、静かです or いいえ、静かじゃありません.

[な-Adjective] な [Noun] / [い-Adjective] [Noun]

Description

Place an adjective directly before the noun it describes. A な-adjective needs な in this position; an い-adjective attaches directly to the noun.

Examples

Usage Notes

• Compare 静かです with 静かな町. The な appears only when the adjective directly modifies a noun.
• Do not add な after an い-adjective.

とても / あまり

Description

Use とても before an affirmative adjective to mean “very.” Use あまり with a negative adjective to mean “not very.”

Examples

Usage Notes

• At this level, do not use あまり with an affirmative ending.
• とても can describe both adjective groups.

Connecting Descriptions: ～が、～ / そして

Description

Use が to connect contrasting descriptions. Use そして to add another description that points in the same direction.

Examples

Usage Notes

• The comma after が helps show where the first description ends.
• そして begins a new sentence in these beginner examples.

[Noun] はどうですか / [Noun A] はどんな [Noun B] ですか

Description

Use どうですか to ask for an impression or opinion about something familiar or experienced. Use どんな before a noun to ask what kind of person, place, or thing it is.

Examples

Usage Notes

• どう asks for an overall impression; どんな must be followed by a noun.
• そうですね can give you a moment to think before answering: そうですね。静かですが、便利です。

Practical Conversation: A New Restaurant

This original conversation combines adjective predicates, noun modification, impressions, degree, and contrast.