Japanese Learning: Sentence Endings of “Past-Positive” for Noun, Na- adjective, and I-adjective Predicates; Use Properly “Deshita” or “Kattadesu”

Sentence endings are the most important part of Japanese sentences. We have already learned sentence endings in past tense for verb predicate sentences;

– Past-positive : V+ mashita

example: Tabemashita (ate)

– Past-negative : V+ masendeshita

example: Tabemasendeshita (didn’t eat)

There are four types of predicate sentences in Japanese. Let’s learn the endings of past-positive for Noun, Na-adjective, and I-adjective predicate sentences.

1. Noun Predicate => [Noun]+deshita.

 example : San’nen mae, Watashi wa Koukousei deshita.

(Three years ago, I was a high school student.)

Note that “Koukousei” is a noun

2. Na-adjective => [Na-adj]+deshita.

 example : San’nen mae. Kono kouen wa Kirei deshita.

(Three years ago, this park was clean and beautiful.)

Note that “Kirei” is not an I-adjective but Na-adjective. And spelling is “Kirei”, but pronunciation is “Kire’e”.

3. I-adjective => [I-adj]+kattadesu.

example : Kinou wa Atatakatta desu.

(Yesterday, it was warm.)

Note that you need to use “kattadesu” for “Past-Positive” of an I-adjective predicate sentence. DO NOT SAY “×Atatakai deshita”, which is wrong.

This post was written with reference to the exercise A1 on Section 12 of “Minna no Nihongo” published by “3A Corporation”