Lesson 8 – Grammar Notes
This file contains grammar explanations for Minna no Nihongo Lesson 8, with Japanese examples (with spaces and furigana in parentheses) and English translations.
1. Adjectives
(い-adjectives and な-adjectives)
- Adjectives are used as 1) predicates and 2) noun modifiers.
- They are divided into two groups: い-adjectives and な-adjectives, according to their inflection.
Examples:
⚠️ Note: Exception Words
There are some exceptional words that look like い-adjectives (end in い) but are actually な-adjectives:
2. N + は + な-adj [な] です / N + は + い-adj (〜い)です
(Adjective sentences)
1) です at the end of an adjective sentence shows the speaker's polite attitude.
- An い-adjective with い at the end comes before です.
- A な-adjective without [な] comes before です.
Examples:
📝
ワット先生(せんせい) は 親切(しんせつ) です。
Mr. Watt is kind.
Note: です is used when a sentence is non-past and affirmative.
2) な-adj [な] じゃありません
- The negative form of な-adj [な] です is な-adj [な] じゃありません (or な-adj [な] ではありません).
Note: Alternative form: ではありません (more formal)
3) い-adj (〜い)です→〜くないです
- To make the negative form of an い-adjective, い at the end is altered to くない.
This book is not interesting.
Note: The negative for いいです is よくないです.
4) Questions using adjective sentences
- Questions are made in the same way as noun or verb sentences.
- In answering, repeat the adjective used in the question. そうです or そうじゃありません cannot be used.
❓
琵琶湖(びわこ) の 水(みず) は きれい ですか。
Is the water of Lake Biwa clean?
3. な-adjな N / い-adj (〜い) N
(Adjectives modifying nouns)
- An adjective is put before a noun to modify it.
- A な-adjective needs な before a noun.
Examples:
📝
ワット先生(せんせい) は 親切(しんせつ)な 先生(せんせい) です。
Mr. Watt is a kind teacher.
📝
富士山(ふじさん) は 高(たか)い 山(やま) です。
Mt. Fuji is a high mountain.
4. とても/あまり
(Adverbs of degree)
- とても and あまり are adverbs of degree. Both come before the adjectives they are modifying.
- とても is used in affirmative sentences, and means "very."
- あまり is used in negative sentences. あまり and a negative form mean "not very."
Examples:
📝
これ は とても 有名(ゆうめい)な 映画(えいが) です。
This is a very famous movie.
Shanghai is not very cold.
📝
さくら大学(だいがく) は あまり 有名(ゆうめい)な 大学(だいがく) じゃありません。
Sakura University is not a very famous university.
5. N + は + どうですか
(Asking for impressions or opinions)
- This question is used to ask an impression or an opinion about a thing, place or person, etc., that the listener has experienced, visited or met.
❓
日本(にほん) の 生活(せいかつ) は どう ですか。
How is the life in Japan?
6. N₁ + は + どんな + N₂ですか
(Asking for descriptions)
- When the speaker wants the listener to describe or explain N₁, this question pattern is used. N₂ denotes the category N₁ belongs to.
- The interrogative どんな is always followed by a noun.
What kind of town is Nara?
7. S₁が、S₂
(Conjunctive particle が meaning "but")
- が is a conjunctive particle, meaning "but." It is used to link sentences.
📝
日本(にほん) の 食べ物(たべもの) は おいしい ですが、高(たか)い です。
Japanese food is good, but expensive.
8. どれ
(Which one)
- This interrogative is used to ask the listener to choose or designate one from more than two things concretely shown or named.
Which is Mr. Miller's umbrella?