Adjective Conjugation

Conjugation of Japanese (True) Adjectives

Disclaimer: You are looking at my notes. I am not an expert in Japanese, but a student in the process of learning.

Forms which are grayed out are rarely used.

Note that gozaimasu forms are quite formal, and would not be used in casual conversation.

Stem Formation

To form the stem of a Japanese true adjective (-i adjective), drop the "i" from the end. In the rules below, the stem is indicated by [stem].

For example, the stem for "akai" is "aka". The stem for "omoshiroi" is "omoshiro".

To form the stem used before "gozaimasu" make the following changes:

Ending	Becomes	Examples
ai	ou	hayai > hayou	akai > akou
ii	yuu	ookii > ookyuu	kawaii > kawayuu
shii	shuu	utsukushii > utsukushuu	tadashii > tadashuu
ui	uu	samui > samuu	karui > karuu
oi	ou	tsuyoi > tsuyou	hiroi > hirou

In the rules below, this form is indicated by [g-stem].

Where the adjective is left intact (including final "i") within an inflection, it is indicated by [adj].

Adverbial

Form	[stem] + ku
Meaning	"X -ly"

Example

Form	hayaku
Meaning	quickly

Indicative

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[adj]	[adj] desu [g-stem] gozaimasu	[stem] + ku nai	[stem] + ku nai desu [stem] + ku arimasen [g-stem] gozaimasen
Meaning	"It is X"		"It is not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	samui	samui desu samuu gozaimasu	samuku nai	samuku nai desu samuku arimasen samuu gozaimasen
Meaning	"It is cold"		"It is not cold"

Past Indicative

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + katta	[stem] + katta desu [stem] + ku arimashita [g-stem] gozaimashita	[stem] + ku nakatta	[stem] + ku nakatta desu [stem] + ku arimasen deshita [g-stem] gozaimasen deshita
Meaning	"It was X"		"It was not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	samukatta	samukatta desu samuku arimashita samuu gozaimashita	samuku nakatta	samuku nakatta desu samuku arimasen deshita samuu gozaimasen deshita
Meaning	"It was cold"		"It was not cold"

Presumptive I

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + karou	[stem] + ku arimashou [g-stem] gozaimashou	[stem] + ku arumai (lit)	[stem] + ku arimasumai (lit) [g-stem] gozaimasumai
Meaning	"It is probably X"		"It is probably not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	oishikarou	oishiku arimashou oishuu gozaimashou	oishiku arumai (lit)	oishiku arimasumai (lit) oishuu gozaimasumai
Meaning	"It is probably delicious"		"It is probably not delicious"

Past Presumptive I

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + kattarou	[g-stem] gozaimashita deshou	[stem] + ku nakattarou	[stem] + ku arimasen deshitarou
Meaning	"It was probably X"		"It was probably not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	oishikattarou	oishuu gozaimashita deshou	oishiku nakattarou	oishiku arimasen deshitarou
Meaning	"It was probably delicious"		"It was probably not delicious"

Presumptive II

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[adj] darou	[adj] deshou	[stem] + ku nai darou	[stem] + ku nai deshou
Meaning	"It is probably X"		"It is probably not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	oishii darou	oishii deshou	oishiku nai darou	oishiku nai deshou
Meaning	"It is probably delicious"		"It is probably not delicious"

Past Presumptive II

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + katta darou	[stem] + katta deshou	[stem] + ku nakatta darou	[stem] + ku nakatta deshou
Meaning	"It was probably X"		"It was probably not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	oishikatta darou	oishikatta deshou	oishiku nakatta darou	oishiku nakatta deshou
Meaning	"It was probably delicious"		"It was probably not delicious"

Provisional

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + kereba		[stem] + ku nakereba
Meaning	"If it is X"		"If it is not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	takakereba		takaku nakereba
Meaning	"If it is expensive"		"If it is not expensive"

Continuative / -te Form

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + kute	[stem] + ku arimashite	[stem] + ku nakute	[stem] + ku arimasen de
Meaning

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	kurakute	kuraku arimashite	kuraku nakute	kuraku arimasen de
Meaning

Conditional

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + kattara	[g-stem] gozaimashitara	[stem] + ku nakattara	[stem] + ku arimasen deshitara
Meaning	"When/if it is X"		"When/if it is not X"

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	kurakattara	kurou gozaimashitara	kuraku nakattara	kuraku arimasen deshitara
Meaning	"When/if it is dark"		"When/if it is not dark"

Alternative

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	[stem] + kattari	[stem] + ku gozaimashitari	[stem] + ku nakattari	[stem] + ku arimasen deshitari
Meaning

Example

	Plain Affirmative	Polite Affirmative	Plain Negative	Polite Negative
Forms	takakattari	takaku gozaimashitari	takaku nakattari	takaku arimasen deshitari
Meaning

The more, the better

Forms	[stem] + kereba, [adj] hodo ii
Meaning	The more X the better

Example

Forms	atsukereba, atsui hodo ii
Meaning	The hotter the better

It would be better if it were / I wish it were

Forms	[stem] + kereba yokatta [desu]
Meaning	It would be better if it were X / I wish it were X

Example

Forms	atsukereba yokatta [desu]
Meaning	It would be better if it were hot / I wish it were hot

It must be / It must not be

	Affirmative	Negative
Forms	[stem] + ku nakute wa ikenai / ikemasen / dame da / dame desu	[stem] + ku wa ikenai / ikemasen / dame da / dame desu
Meaning	It must be X	It must not be X

Example

	Affirmative	Negative
Forms	hiroku nakute wa ikemasen	takakute wa ikemasen
Meaning	It has to be spacious	It must not be expensive

Become

Forms	[stem] + ku naru
Meaning	Become X

Example

Forms	atsuku naru
Meaning	Become hot

Make

Forms	[stem] + ku suru
Meaning	Make (something) X

Example

Forms	yasuku suru
Meaning	Make cheap

Even if it is

Forms	[stem] + kute mo
Meaning	Even if it is X

Example

Forms	chiisakute mo
Meaning	Even if it is small

Unbearably

Forms	[stem] + kute tamaranai / tamarimasen
Meaning	Unbearably X

Example

Forms	atsukute tamarimasen
Meaning	Unbearably hot

Noun Form

Forms	[stem] + sa
Meaning	X -ness

Example

Forms	nagasa
Meaning	Length

Looks / Appears to be

Forms	[stem] + sou da / desu
Meaning	Looks X

Example

Forms	oishisou desu
Meaning	Looks delicious

To be too much

Forms	[stem] + sugiru
Meaning	Too X

Example

Forms	ookisugimasu
Meaning	Too big

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Collin McCulley

cmmcculley AT charter DOT net

Last updated May 5, 2002.