Following on from the previous lesson, we will now look at the next set of adjectives, na-adjectives. Similarly to i-adjective, na-adjectives end in 〜な and are also used to describe nouns. However, there are some na-adjectives that may be confused with i-adjective.
The difference is that na-adjectives cannot be conjugated to show tense which makes them easier to use than i-adjectives. They can be used with all forms of です to indicate tense and they connect to other nouns using な.
If an adjective ends in an /ei/ sound (or "ei" in romaji) then it's very likely a na-adjective. In the next section, you'll see that しつれい "shitsur(ei)" and ていねい "tein(ei)" are na-adjective despite ending with 〜い like we have seen with i-adjectives.
New Words to Learn
Here is a list of na-adjectives to help get you started with reading and making sentences:
| English | Romaji | Kana | Kanji | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Like | suki | すき | 好き |
| A | Dislike / Hate | kirai | きらい | 嫌い |
| A | Quiet | shizuka | しずか | 静か |
| A | Poetic | shiteki | してき | 詩的 |
| A | Convenient | benri | べんり | 便利 |
| A | Showy | hade | はで | 派手 |
| A | Rude | shitsurei | しつれい | 失礼 |
| A | Polite | teinei | ていねい | 丁寧 |
| A | Skilful | jouzu | じょうず | 上手 |
| A | Honest | shoujiki | しょうじき | 正直 |
な-Adjectives at the predicate
Just like regular nouns, na-adjectives can be used with です and だ at the end of a sentence. In casual Japanese, you may use just the na-adjective by itself. Remember not to use な here.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 男の子が静かです otoko no ko ga shizuka desu |
That boy is quite (The boy is the one who is quite) |
| 派手な猫が上手でした hade na neko ga jouzu deshita |
The showy cat was Skilful (It is the showy cat that was Skilful) |
| 本は便利だ hon wa benri da |
Books are convenient (As for books, they are convenient) |
| 彼女が失礼 kanojo ga shitsureii |
She is rude (She is the one that is rude) |
Now that the na-adjective comes at the end of the sentence, the thing that receives the adjective is the subject. In the example, "hade na neko-san ga jouzu deshita", the thing that is 上手 (Skilful) is the subject noun phrase 派手な猫 (showy cat).
Just like the English adjective "like" used as a verb (I liked), the Japanese すき (suki) for "like" can also be used as a verbal adjective when placed at the predicate: "kare ga suki deshita" (I liked him). This also works for the word きらい (dislike / hate).
na-adjectives are generally known as verbal adjectives. The old way of describing nouns was to connect にあり to show the relationship between two words where に is the particle and あり is the verb ある. Over time, it became なる then eventually simplified to な which is still in use today. While na-adjectives don't resemble verbs any more, the な itself is a verb.
(Unfortunately, many English speakers who preach about "casual Japanese" and the negativity of textbooks, falsely mistaken "like" as being a verb only when comparing it to the Japanese na-adjective and this can lead to confusion and misuse).
な-Adjectives Before a Noun
When a na-adjective comes directly before a noun, you need to place な after the adjective. This is very similar to connecting nouns with the の particle but rather than modifying the noun, the na-adjective describes something about it. When stringed together, this noun phrase can be placed anywhere any normal noun could be used.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 詩的な本 shiteki na hon |
A poetic book |
| 詩的な本が好きです (shiteki na hon) ga suki desu |
I like poetic book(s) (It is poetic books that is liked) |
| 静かな女の子は好きな本を読んだ (shizuka na onna no ko) wa (suki na hon) o yonda |
The quite girl read her favourite book (Speaking of the quite girl, she read a liked book) |
な-Adjectives as a Noun
As well as describing other nouns, na-adjective can be used as nouns on their own and can be used in the subject or object. Remember to remove the な if there is one, as we are not describing other nouns.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 正直は良いです (shoujiki wa) yoi desu |
[Honesty] is good (As for honesty, it is good) |
| 丁寧が失礼じゃない (teinei ga) shitsureii janai |
[Politeness] is not rude (It is politeness that is not rude) |
| 彼が平和を追求する Kare ga (heiwa o) tsuikyuu suru |
He seeks [peace] (It is him who is seeking peace) |
Additional Notes
Some words may have different meanings or expressions so check out online dictionaries such as japandict.com or jisho.org to find out more.
These example sentences may be presented in an unnatural or artificial way. Continue to broaden your research and listen to how real Japanese native people speak. It's important to make sure you have many other resources to use. Do not rely on this website alone.
The "Like" and "Dislike" Myth
You may hear from the people who claim to teach "casual Japanese" and claim "textbook Japanese" is bad also falsely state that "Like" and "Dislike" in English are verbs but in Japanese, they are adjectives. The fact is, "Like" in English is also an adjective; it can actually be a noun, adjective, adverb or verb. "Dislike" in English is both a noun and a verb.
-
As a noun
used with reference to a person or thing of the same kind as another.
"Did you ever hear the like?"
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Attached to a noun (suffix)
(added to nouns) similar to; characteristic of.
"It is bell-like"
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As an adjective
(of a person or thing) having similar qualities or characteristics to another person or thing.
"I responded in like manner"
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As an adjectival noun phrase (preposition)
having the same characteristics or qualities as; similar to.
"like father, like son"
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As an adverb
used in speech as a meaningless filler or to signify the speaker's uncertainty about an expression just used.
"there was this funny smell—sort of dusty like"
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As a verb
find agreeable, enjoyable or satisfactory.
"all his classmates liked him"
In Japanese, this is similar but the way "Like" and "Dislike" are used is rather different that it may confuse or trip up many English learners, especially those that assume "Like" and "Dislike" are verbs only in English and adjectives only in Japanese.
In Japanese, the verb is best known as the predicate. "Like" can be placed at the predicate to form a verbal adjective: "kurasume-to zen'in wa kare ga (suki deshita)", all his classmates (liked) him.