い-Adjectives
Describe with い-adjectives — the foundation of Japanese description.
Describing the World
When you want to talk about your surroundings, you need more than just nouns. You need words to describe how things look, feel, or taste. In Japanese, the most common way to do this is by using a special group of words called 'i-adjectives'.
The い-Adjective Formula
Japanese adjectives are called 'i-adjectives' because they always end with the hiragana character い (i). They function as the predicate of a sentence, meaning they can end a sentence directly before 'です'.
Watch out
Seeing it in Action
Here are some common ways to use i-adjectives to describe things around you.
コーヒーは熱いです。
The coffee is hot.
このケーキは美味しいです。
This cake is delicious.
今日は忙しいです。
Today is busy.
Which sentence correctly describes a cold room?
- ✓ 部屋は寒いです。
- 部屋は寒いですです。
- 部屋寒いです。
The correct structure is [Noun] + は + [Adjective] + です. '寒いです' is the correct form.
Usage and Nuance
i-adjectives are very versatile. You can use them to describe a noun directly (e.g., 'a hot coffee') or as the predicate of a sentence (e.g., 'the coffee is hot').
Predicate vs. Attributive
コーヒーは熱いです
Predicate: The coffee is hot.
熱いコーヒー
Attributive: A hot coffee.
Note
Which version is more polite?
- ✓ 美味しいです
- 美味しい
Adding 'です' makes the sentence polite and suitable for most social situations.
Exceptions to the Rule
While most words ending in 'い' are i-adjectives, there are a few sneaky exceptions that are actually nouns or na-adjectives.
Lesson Recap
i-adjectives are the primary way to describe qualities in Japanese. They end in 'い' and can be used directly before 'です' to form a complete descriptive sentence.