Japanese Learning: Sentence Endings of Adjective Predicate Sentences; Four patterns for I-adjective and Na-adjective, and positive and negative.

Yesterday we learned that there are two types of adjectives in Japanese. They are I-adjectives and Na-adjectives. When these adjectives are used for predicate of a sentence, sentences are like below;

1. (Na-adjective) Kono Kouen wa Kirei desu. (This park is beautiful.)

2. (I-adjective) Kono Kouen wa Atarashii desu. (This park is new.)

Sentences 1 and 2 are both positive. You need to learn negative endings.

3. (Na-adjective) Kono Kouen wa Kirei dewa arimasen. (This park is not beautiful.)

4. (I-adjective) Kono Kouen wa Atarashikunai desu. (This park is not new.)

Sentences 1 through 4 are all in present tense. In addition to 1 through 4, you also need to learn other four patterns of endings for past tense. But learning many patters at one time is not effective, let us concentrate on positive/negative ending in present tense this time.

– Na-adjective predicate for present positive; (sentence 1; “desu”)

– Na-adjective predicate for present negative; (sentence 3; “dewa arimasen”)

– I-adjective predicate for present positive; (sentence 2; “desu”)

– I-adjective predicate for present negative; (sentence 4; “-kunai desu”)

Yesterday I wrote that “anytime you use an adjective, you need to know whether it is Na-adjective or I-adjective. The two adjectives conjugate differently”. Differences between Na-adjective and I-adjective can be seen between sentences 1 and 2, and between 3 and 4. And let me say the same thing as yesterday, that the adjective “Kirei(na)” is not an I-adjective but Na-adjective. So many Japanese learners are confused by the Na-adjective “Kireina”. There are three types of understanding about adjectives.

<1> WRONG : If a learner erroneously understands that “Kirei” is an I-adjective, he/she would say the sentence 3 like “Kono Kouen wa Kirekunaidesu”, which is wrong. But the error happens only on “Kireina”.

<2> WRONG : If a learner erroneously understands that all the I-adjective conjugate in the same way as “Kirei”, he/she would say the sentence 4 like “Kono Kouen wa Atarashii dewa arimasen, which is wrong. This error <2> is more serious than error <1> because conjugations of all the I-adjectives get damages.

<3> Right : A learner knows there are two types of adjectives, know an adjective is Na- or I-adjective, and can conjugate it properly for the type.

Let me continue to write about this issue tomorrow. The issue is right endings of Na-adjective predicate sentences and I-adjective predicate sentences.

Think about whether the following words are Na- or I-adjectives, and remember them.

Q1: Ii (good) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q2: Genki (healthy and energetic) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q3: Shizuka(quiet) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q4: Atarashii (new) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q5: Oishii (tasty) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q6: Yuumei (famous) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q7: Omoshiroi (interesting) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q8: Shinsetsu (kind) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q9: Takai (expensive/tall/high) —– Na- or I- adjective

Q10: Kirei (beautiful/clean) —– Na- or I- adjective

Answers will be shown tomorrow

<この投稿は“スリーエーネットワーク、みんなの日本語 初級I 第2版, 第8課A2”の内容を参照しています。>