い-adjective/な-adjective
い-adjectives normally end in い. な-adjectives take な only when placed directly before a noun.
Nara is a quiet town.
どんな ところですか
These notes follow the grammar progression in the supplied Kanrin / Minna no Nihongo material. Each rule is summarized in English and paired with a fresh Japanese example, reading support, and translation.
Read the rule, cover the translation, and say the Japanese example aloud once.
い-adjectives normally end in い. な-adjectives take な only when placed directly before a noun.
Nara is a quiet town.
Change final い to くないです for an い-adjective; use じゃありません after a な-adjective.
This room is not spacious.
An adjective can directly describe a following noun: い-adjective + noun, or な-adjective + な + noun.
I bought a new car.
とても strengthens an adjective. あまり with a negative means “not very.”
This shop is not very famous.
どう asks for an impression; どんな asks what kind of noun. が can link contrasting descriptions.
Osaka is lively, and it is interesting.
handsome
beautiful, clean
quiet
lively
famous
helpful, kind, considerate (not used about one's own family members)
healthy, energetic, cheerful
free (time)
convenient
fine, nice, wonderful
big, large
small, little
new, fresh
old (not used to describe a person's age)
good
bad
hot
cold (referring to temperature)
cold (referring to touch)
difficult
easy
expensive, tall, high
inexpensive
low
interesting
delicious, tasty
busy
enjoyable
white
black
red
blue
cherry (blossom)
mountain
town, city
food
place
dormitory
restaurant
life
work, business (~を します : do one's job, work)
how
what kind of ~
very
not so (used with negatives)
and (used to connect sentences)
~, but ~
How are you?
Well let me see. (pausing)
Won't you have another cup of [~]?
No, thank you
It's already ~[, isn't it?]
It's time I was going.
Not at all.
Please come again
Shanghai (上海)
Kinkakuji Temple (the Golden Pavilion)
Nara Park
Mt. Fuji, the highest mountain in Japan
'The Seven Samurai', a classic movie by Akira Kurosawa