Intaanetto wa benri desu
Noun-adjective
Another type of adjective is a noun-adjective, which does not have an i-sound at the end (except for some words). Noun-adjectives are also called na-adjectives because they connect to nouns with a na-sound. In this course, I refer to them as noun-adjectives as this better represents their function.
Affirmative
Add “desu” after a noun-adjective to state something is an adjective.
Add “desu” after “kenkou” to say it is healthy.
Conjugation is the same as in noun sentences.
Negative
Just add “janaidesu” after a noun-adjective to say something is not an adjective. Add “janai desu” after “kenkou” to say it is not healthy. Conjugation is the same as in noun sentences.
These are the same forms as noun sentences. Noun-adjectives have a similar function to nouns. They can act as both a noun and an adjective. Most noun-adjectives are written with two kanji characters or are foreign-rooted adjectives, such as English words.
Words
| Word (pronunciation) | Meaning |
|---|---|
| intaanetto | internet |
| benri | convenient, useful |
| nedan | price |
| mo | also, too |
| otoku | reasonable for price |
| saito | site, web page |
| yuumei | famouse |
| hima | have free time |
| isshoni | together |
| nettoshoppingu | online shopping |
| shimashou | let’s do |
| hai | yes |
Expressions
Jasutinsan, where did you buy this clothes?
Intaanetto desu.
Intaanetto wa benri desu. Nedan mo otoku desu.
Saito wa yuumei desuka?
Yuumei janaidesu. Yuukisan wa ashita hima desuka? Isshoni nettoshoppingu shimashou!
Hai, shimashou!
Tips
Long vowel
In Japanese, vowels like “aa,” “ii,” “uu,” “ee,” and “oo” indicate double-length vowels. For example, if “a” lasts 0.1 second, “aa” lasts 0.2 seconds. It’s essential to note that the “a” sound is momentary, while “aa” extends slightly longer. Additionally, “oo” represents a long “o” sound, distinct from the pronunciation of “book” in English. Similarly, “ou” becomes “oo,” and “ei” becomes “ee” in pronunciation. In katakana, long vowels are expressed with a bar (ー).
| Long vowels | Long vowels with k consonant |
|---|---|
| aa | kaa |
| ii | kii |
| uu | kuu |
| ee | kee |
| ei = ee | kei = kee |
| oo | koo |
| ou = oo | kou = koo |
Let’s read the words below.
ie (house) iie (no)
ojisan (uncle) ojiisan (eldery man)
oi (nephew) ooi (many)
toukyou = tookyoo
kirei = kiree
Foreign rooted adjectives
In Japanese, there are many loanwords. They are mainly divided into two categories.
1. Kanji Rooted Adjectives
They are mostly comprised of either one kanji or two kanji. When used as adjectives, they conjugate as noun-adjectives.
楽 (raku)
活発 (kappatsu)
清潔 (seiketsu)
2. Western Rooted Adjectives
Western words also conjugate as noun-adjectives when they are used as adjectives.
happy (happii)
romantic (romantikku)
Exercise
Questions
- Justin is healthy.
- Yuuki has free time. = Yuuki is free.
- This gym is useful.
- Yuuki is not healthy.
- Justin is not free.
- This gym is not useful.
Answers
- Jasutinsan wa kenkou desu.
- Yuukisan wa hima desu.
- Kono jimu wa benri desu.
- Yuukisan wa kenkou janaidesu.
- Jasutinsan wa hima janaidesu.
- Kono jimu wa benri janaidesu.