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Adjectives are essential building blocks for learning Japanese. How else are you going to explain how delicious that fatty salmon sushi was? The Japanese language has two types of adjectives: \u3044-adjectives<\/strong> and \u306a-adjectives<\/strong>. Both must be conjugated like verbs. In this article, we\u2019re going to introduce 10 fail-proof Japanese adjectives that you\u2019ll be certain to use daily. We\u2019ll then use those adjectives as examples to explain the do\u2019s and don\u2019t\u2019s for this tricky bit of Japanese grammar.<\/p>\n Before we jump into our adjective list, it\u2019s important to understand what defines an i-adjective<\/strong>, a na-adjective<\/strong>, or a nominal adjective<\/strong>.<\/p>\n As the name suggests, i-adjectives, or \u5f62\u5bb9\u8a5e (keiyoushi<\/em>) always end with the single hiragana character \u3044 (i<\/em>). That last i <\/em>character is usually removed when the adjective is conjugated.<\/p>\n On the other hand, na-adjectives, or \u5f62\u5bb9\u52d5\u8a5e (keiyoudoushi<\/em>) may end with any sound or character. Typically, these adjectives are composed fully of kanji and have no overhanging hiragana characters. They\u2019re called \u201cna-adjectives\u201d because a \u306a (na<\/em>) is added to the adjectives when they come before a noun. When the adjectives are conjugated, however, that na <\/em>is dropped.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also one glaring exception to the categorization of Japanese adjectives. \u3088\u3044 (Yoi<\/em>) or \u201cgood\u201d has its own rules, which we\u2019ll cover more at the end of the article.<\/p>\n Here are our 10 favorite adjectives that native speakers use most in their daily lives. We\u2019ll put each adjective in its category and make an example sentence or two for you to practice with.<\/p>\n Oishii <\/em>is an i\u00ad<\/em>-adjective that you\u2019ll likely use a lot if you visit a Japanese restaurant.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Genki <\/em> is a na-adjective. Japanese people always use genki <\/em>to ask how someone is doing. This adjective can also be used to describe someone who\u2019s particularly active or healthy. On the opposite side of things, the negative form of genki <\/em>is used when one is feeling unwell.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n \u6691\u3044 (Atsui<\/em>) means \u201chot\u201d, and is used yearly in the humid summers of Japan. The word atsui <\/em>can also be used to describe hot things such as food, or even the fiery passion of a hard worker. In these latter cases, however, the kanji while the pronunciation remains the same: \u71b1\u3044 (atsui<\/em>). Both variations are i-adjectives. \u5bd2\u3044 (samui<\/em>), which means \u201ccold\u201d, is atsui\u2019<\/em>s opposite and is also an i-adjective.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Sugoi <\/em>is a very popular i-adjective in Japanese. It\u2019s most often used to show surprise or amazement, and can also be added as a modifier to other adjectives.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Jouzu <\/em>is a na-adjective, and means \u201cskilled\u201d in Japanese. Its antonym, \u4e0b\u624b (heta<\/em>) is also a na-adjective and follows the same conjugation rules in a sentence.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Tsuyoi <\/em>is an i-adjective, as is its opposite \u5f31\u3044 (yowai<\/em>), or \u201cweak\u201d.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Kawaii <\/em>is an i-adjective and is widely used in Japanese and even Western pop culture. While the literal translation is \u201ccute,\u201d kawaii<\/em> is also often used to describe something pretty or attractive. When used in this sense, it holds a feminine connotation.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n One i-adjective you want to memorize for safety\u2019s sake is abunai<\/em>, or \u201cdangerous.\u201d You\u2019ll see this word on quite a few signs in Japan, so be sure to keep an eye out for it. While abunai <\/em>is an i-adjective, its synonym \u5371\u967a (kiken<\/em>) is a na-adjective. Both mean \u201cdangerous.\u201d<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n While the adjective kirei <\/em>technically ends with \u3044 (i<\/em>), it\u2019s actually a na-adjective. This may seem like an exception to the rule, but kirei <\/em>is actually composed of two kanji (\u7dba\u9e97), and doesn\u2019t have an extra \u3044 character at its end. Kirei <\/em>is often written only in hiragana, as its kanji is quite difficult. It means \u201cpretty\u201d or \u201cbeautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n The last word on our list is another i-adjective. Tanoshii <\/em>means \u201cfun\u201d or \u201cexciting.\u201d Its opposite, \u3064\u307e\u3089\u306a\u3044 (tsumaranai<\/em>), or \u201cboring\u201d is also an i-adjective.<\/p>\n Examples:<\/p>\n Japanese adjectives follow the same conjugation pattern as Japanese verbs do: the adjective\u2019s conjugation depends on the tense, as well as whether the speaker is using a positive or negative connotation.<\/p>\nThe Two Types of Japanese Adjectives\u2026and Their Exception<\/h2>\n
10 Japanese Adjectives for Daily Use<\/h2>\n
\u7f8e\u5473\u3057\u3044 (oishii<\/em>) \u2013 delicious<\/h3>\n
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\u5143\u6c17 (genki<\/em>) \u2013 fine, active, healthy<\/h3>\n
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\u6691\u3044\/\u71b1\u3044 (atsui<\/em>) \u2013 hot, passionate<\/h3>\n
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\u3059\u3054\u3044 (sugoi<\/em>) \u2013 amazing, extreme, very<\/h3>\n
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\u4e0a\u624b (jouzu<\/em>) – skilled<\/h3>\n
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\u5f37\u3044 (tsuyoi<\/em>) \u2013 strong, powerful<\/h3>\n
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\u304b\u308f\u3044\u3044 (kawaii<\/em>) \u2013 cute, adorable<\/h3>\n
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\u5371\u306a\u3044 (abunai<\/em>) \u2013 dangerous<\/h3>\n
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\u304d\u308c\u3044 (kirei<\/em>) \u2013 pretty, beautiful<\/h3>\n
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\u697d\u3057\u3044 (tanoshii<\/em>) \u2013 fun, enjoyable, exciting<\/h3>\n
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Conjugating i-Adjectives and na-Adjectives in Japanese<\/h2>\n
![\"i-adjectives](\"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screenshot-2022-06-24-164220-3.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"na-adjectives](\"https:\/\/www.clozemaster.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Screenshot-2022-06-24-164528-6.png\")
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