Beginners Guide And List Of Common Adjectives In Japanese
Definition:
An adjective is a word whose main role is to modify a noun or pronoun, giving more information about the noun or pronoun's definition.
Japanese adjetives are a bit different than other languages. As English language, Japanese adjetives are placed before a noun (Never after noun). In japanese Language there are not number neither gender for adjetives and nouns.
Types of Japanese Adjetives
| **Adjetival Verbs (i-adjetives)** | **Adjectival Nouns (na-adjetives) ** | **Attributives** |
| **i-adjectives** all end in "**i**" (い) | These attach to a form of the copula, which then inflects | These may only occur before nouns |
The Use of Adjetives
Adjetives as Predicates -> "i"-Adjetives:
| **Past** | **Past Negative** | **Present Negative** |
| Replace **i** with **Ku nai** | Replace **i** with **katta** | Replace **i** with **Ku nakatta** |
Adjetives as Predicates -> "na"-Adjetives: This adjetives cannot be used as predicates themselves, that is the reason why the final "na" (な) is deleted and followed by "da" (だ).
Modifying Nouns:
| **"i-adjetives"** | **"na-adjetives" ** |
| Take the basic form |
Examples:
Small dog
小さい犬
Chīsai inu
Expensive camera
高価なカメラ
Kōkana kamera
Famous singer
有名な歌手
Yūmeina kashu
This is a complete list of Japanese Adjetives:
| **English** | Kanji | Hiragana/ Katakana | Romaji |
| Bad | 悪い | わるい | *Warui* |
| Beautiful | 美しい | うつくしい | *Utsukushii* |
| Cheap | 格安 | かくやす | *Kakuyasu* |
| Clean | 清潔度 | きよし | *Kiyoshi* |
| Cold | コールド | *Kōrudo* | |
| Different | 異なる | ことなる | *Kotonaru* |
| Difficult | 困難 | こん'なん | *Kon'nan* |
| Early | 初期 | しょき | *Shoki* |
| Easy | 簡単 | かんたん | *Kantan* |
| Friendly | フレンドリー | *Furendorī* | |
| Good | 良い | よい | *Yoi* |
| Heavy | 重い | おもい | *Omoi* |
| Important | 重要 | じゅうよお | *Jūyō* |
| Married | 既婚 | きこん | *Kikon* |
| Natural | 自然 | しぜん | *Shizen* |
| Nice | ニース | *Nīsu* | |
| Open | オープン | *Ōpun* | |
| Polite | 礼儀正しい | れいぎ ただしい | *Reigi tadashii* |
| Poor | プア | *Pua* | |
| Rich | リッチ | *Ritchi* | |
| Sad | 悲しい | かなしい | *Kanashii* |
| Simple | シンプル | *Shinpuru* | |
| Slow | 遅い | おそい | *Osoi* |
| Small | 小 | *Shō* | |
| Sweet | スウィート | *Suu~īto* | |
| Tall | 背の高い | せ の たかい | *Se no takai* |
| Warm | 暖かい | あたたかい | *Atatakai* |
| Well | も | *Mo* | |
| Worse | さらに悪いことに | *Sarani warui koto ni* | |
| Worst | 最悪 | さいあく | *Saiaku* |
| Wrong | 間違って | まちがTて | *Machigatte* |
One of the most popular and comprehensive online Japanese language courses is currently running a massive Black Friday sale on their Japanese course levels.
60% OFF - 3 DAYS ONLY
(they have a free trial period too)
LEARN MORE