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April 12, 2020

Japanese -na な-Adjectives for Beginners

Adjectives are split into two groups, -i adjectives and -na adjectives. This article tackles -na adjectives. If you would like to learn about -i adjectives, please click here.

The -na adjectives pretty much act as nouns. However, instead of modifying another noun with a の (see the right for an example of a noun modifying another) -na adjectives modify a noun with a な na.

となり の 犬

tonari no inu
the dog next door; next door's dog

An example of an -na adjective is げんき genki (healthy, vigorous, energetic…)

元気(げんき) (いぬ)

genki na inu
an energetic dog 

  • You only use the な na ending when placed before nouns. Therefore, some words will simply have to be memorized as -na adjectives. Some even end in -i such as きれい kirei (pretty, beautiful) even though these are not -adjectives.
  • Many -na adjectives are usually made of two kanji. For example:

きれい is 綺麗

すてき is 素敵

  • Whereas -i adjectives are usually made of one kanji plus at least one hiragana and ends in a hiragana i. This isn't always true, but it is a good rule of thumb.


SENTENCE #1: non-past lone adjective

あなたは  きれい  です。
anata wa kirei desu.
You are beautiful.
Here the adjective kirei (beautiful) is used by itself (not modifying a noun or anything). It doesn’t change at all.
  • Easy enough! But let’s add a noun…


SENTENCE #2: non-past modifying adjective

あなたは きれい  な  人 です。
anata wa kirei na hito desu.
You are a beautiful person.
Now, the adjective kirei is modifying a noun hito (person). Therefore the –na is added.
  • for -na adjectives, the only change is to add or take away the na . Let’s go negative…


SENTENCE #3: non-past negative

わたしは きれい では ありません。
watashi wa kirei dewa arimasen.
I am NOT beautiful.
Notice the -na adjective doesn’t change. With -i adjectives , the adjective changes and not the verb [anata wa kawakunai desu. You are not cute.]


SENTENCE #4: past

あなたは きれい でした。
anata wa kirei deshita.
You were beautiful.
Again nothing changes but the verb. –na adjectives act very much like nouns.
  • Easy! Just remember the -na is added before nouns >>> kirei na neko – beautiful cat


SENTENCE #5: past negative

あなたは きれい では ありません でした。
anata wa kirei dewa arimasen deshita.
You were not beautiful.
Once again we simply treat the -na adjective as a noun and only the verb changes. The familiar form would be anata wa kirei ja nakatta.


*** I SUGGEST MEMORIZING A FEW GOOD ONE-WORD EXAMPLES. THE FOLLOWING ARE USED JUST AS THEY ARE VERY OFTEN IN JAPANESE:

By itself

Modifying a noun
(add -na)

しずか

shizuka
quiet

しずか な (ところ)

shizuka na (tokoro)
A quiet (place.)


べんり

benri
(That’s) convenient!


べんり な (ところ)

benri na (tokoro )
a convenient (place!)

-na adjectives modify a noun with a な na.

A list of common beginner level -na adjectives with readings. Click the "Download Worksheet" to, well, download a worksheet on the following vocabulary words.

げんき genki – 元気 healthy; feeling fine

すき suki – 好き like

ゆうめい yuumei – 有名 famous

しずか shizuka – 静か silent; quiet

きれい kirei – 綺麗 beautiful; clean; tidy

おなじ onaji – 同じ the same; alike

いろいろ iroiro – 色々 various; several

けっこう kekkou – 結構 quite; fairly; well; good; fine

じょうず jouzu – 上手 skill; proficiency

じょうぶ joubu – 丈夫 healthy; strong

たいせつ taisetsu – 大切 important

だいじょうぶ daijoubu – 大丈夫 safe, all right, OK

だいすき daisuki – 大好き like (a lot); love

にぎやか nigiyaka – 賑やか busy; bustling

ひま hima – 暇 free-time

へた heta – 下手 unskilled

べんり benri – 便利 convenience; convenient

りっぱ rippa – 立派 fine; handsome; splendid

たいへん taihen – 大変 very; greatly; serious; hard

まっすぐ massugu – 真直ぐ straight; direct; upright


Examples

その(ほん)()きです。

I like this book.

(ほん hon – book)
好き (すき suki – like)

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