The Handbook of Japanese Adjectives and Adverbs (A Kodansha Dictionary)
[The first pages of the opening chapter; without the bold type setting relevant words and with Japanese script represented by X's.]ADJECTIVESIntroductionThis section deals with some of the main features of Japanese adjectives as well as their similarities to and differences from English adjectives. You are advised to read it carefully before moving on to the main text.Types of AdjectivesJapanese adjectives may be divided into two types: (a) i-adjectives, which end with i, and (b) na-adjectives, which end with na. I-adjectives are Japanese in origin while na-adjectives are mostly Chinese-origin words.atarashii XXX newisogashii XXX busyomoshiroi XXX interestingshizukana XXX quietsukina XXX favoritebenrina XXX convenientNoun ModifiersWhen used as noun modifiers, Japanese adjectives, like their English counterparts, precede the nouns they modify. Foreign words used as adjectives in Japanese become na-adjectives.(a) okii ieXXXXXa big housekuroi kurumaXXXXXa black car(b)kireina hanaXXXXXa pretty flowergenkina hitoXXXXXa healthy personmodanna biruXXXXXa modern buildingyuniikuna aidiaXXXXXa unique ideaAdjectival PredicatesI-adjectives, when used as predicates, behave like verbs. For example, when okii XXX (big) or kuroi XXX (black) is used as a predicate, it means "is big" or "is black," not just "big" or "black."Tanaka-san no ie wa okii.XXXXXXXMr. Tanaka's house is big.Watashi no kuruma wa kuroi.XXXXXXXMy car is black.Na-adjectives, when used as predicates, behave like nouns. That is, the stem form (the form without na) must be followed by the copula (be-verb) da, as must an ordinary noun. For this reason, na-adjectives are sometimes called "nominal (nounlike) adjectives" or "adjectival nouns."Kono hana wa kirei da.XXXXXXXThis flower is pretty.Yamada-san wa genki da.XXXXXXXMiss Yamada is healthy.Some na-adjectives can be used as nouns when functioning as the subject or object of a sentence.anzenna asobibaXXXXXXXa safe playgroundKodomo ni totte anzen ga taisetsu da.XXXXXXXSafety is important for children.zeitakuna kurashiXXXXXXXluxurious livingSonna zeitaku wa dekinai.XXXXXXXI can't afford such a luxury.Exceptions: The i-adjectives okii XXX (big), chiisai XXX (small) and okashii XXX (funny) may be used as na-adjectives when modifying certain nouns such as those given in the examples below.okina koen XXX a big parkchiisana ike XXX a small pondokashina hanashi XXX a funny storyAuxiliary AdjectivesAuxiliary adjectives are adjectives that are attached to other adjectives or verbs. Some are i-adjectives (Examples 1, 2, 3, 4), while others are na-adjectives (Examples 5, 6).1. Ano resutoran wa takai rashii.XXXXXXXThat restaurant seems to be expensive.2. Kono mondai wa judai kamoshirenai.XXXXXXXThis problem might be serious.3. Fuji-san ni noboritai.XXXXXXXI want to climb Mt. Fuji.4. Kono kigu wa tsukaiyasui.XXXXXXXThis utensil is easy to use.5. Kono pai wa oishiso da.XXXXXXXThis pie looks delicious.6. Sumisu-san wa sumo ga sukina yo da.XXXXXXXMr. Smith appears to like sumo.In addition to auxiliary adjectives, there are also auxiliary verbs. These, too, can attach to adjectives.(a) Kono heya wa semasugiru.XXXXXXXThis room is too small.(b) Kare wa majime sugiru.XXXXXXXHe is too serious.Tenses of Adjectives Japanese adjectives conjugate and have two tenses: present and past. The same adjectival form is used to express both present and future tenses.(a) Shiken wa yasashii.XXXXXXXThe exam is/will be easy.Shiken wa yasashikatta.XXXXXXXThe exam was easy.(b)Tetsuzuki wa kantan da.XXXXXXXThe procedure is/will be simple.Tetsuzuki wa kantan datta.XXXXXXXThe procedure was simple.Levels of SpeechJapanese adjectives have plain, polite and superpolite forms or levels of speech. The plain form is used among family and friends, as well as in publications. The polite form is used among adults who are not close friends. The super-polite form is seldom used by younger speakers except in such greetings as o-hayo gozaimasu XXXXXXX (Good morning) or o-medeto gozaimasu XXXXXXX (Congratulations)."It is interesting."(a) Plain for i-adjectivesOmoshiroi.XXXPolite form for i-adjectivesOmoshiroi desu.XXXSuperpolite form for i-adjectivesOmoshiro gozaimasu.XXX(b) Plain form for na-adjectivesKantan da.XXXPolite form for na-adjectivesKantan desu.XXXSuperpolite form for na-adjectivesKantan de gozaimasu.XXX