Copied from another thread... there used to be some kind of basic grammar thread in the main forum, but here's a new one, for anyone to contribute/ask questions when they want to. I like contributing because like MA, going over the basics sharpens you up and helps you to get things simple. having said that, like MA it's really diffuicult to express things (esp such basic things) in a written medium so please DO ask questions. Bu-buu! Go to the bottom of the class! I know this is the useful phrases thread, but since there isn’t a serious learning thread (there was one from Levi…? On the General Forum but it didn’t really get off the ground or move over to here), let’s hit a few adjective basics. There are two kinds of adjectives in Japanese: -ii/-oi adj and -na adj. The –ii adj are for ‘Japanese words’ i.e. kunyomi (traditional Japanese words, OR Japanese readings of the Chinese character) tho they often have Chinese characters too. Examples include: Omoshiroi (interesting/funny) 面白い Ookii (big) 大きい Hiroi (wide) 広い Utsukushii (beautiful) 美しい If there is a kanji for them, it is usually (though not always – see omoshiroi above!) only represented by one kanji. The –na adj are for ‘foreign’ words, though this misleading as it includes all of the Chinese compound (two or more) kanji adj with the onyomi (traditional Japanese reading of the Chinese pronunciation). Examples include: *****urei(na) (rude) 失礼（な） Kirei(na) (pretty) 綺麗（な） Kawaii(na) (cute) 可愛い（な） (this has two ‘ii’s in English transcription, but notice one of those ‘i’s comes from the kanji and the other is hiragana – it’s an exception and is a ‘-na’ adj.) Most of these are represented by two kanji. Thus: Anata ha ookii desu. (you are big) Anata ha kirei desu. (you are pretty) Simple enough. BUUUT… When you join two or more adjectives it uses this pattern: -ii adj – lose one ‘i’ and add ‘kute’ -na adj – lose the ‘na’ and add ‘de’ Soooo: Anata ha ookikute kirei desu. (you are big and pretty) Anata ha kirei de ookii desu. (you are pretty and big) OK? The negative is also different for the two forms. Polite: -ii – lose one ‘i’ and gain ‘kunai desu’ -na – lose the ‘na’ and gain ‘de(w)ha arimasen’ Normal: -ii – lose one ‘i’ and gain ‘kunai da’ -na – lose the ‘na’ and gain ‘de(w)ha nai / janai’ So, Budo-paladin’s answer is completely back-to-front. Plus, you wouldn’t use ‘anata’: technically, if the listener knows you are speaking to him/her, you don’t use a subject at all. Plus if it’s an insult you would use ‘Omae’ or really bad ‘temae / temee’ and probably drop the ‘ha’. To further disect BP's answer: 'to' as a conjunction does mean 'and' but it is used only for nouns/pronouns, not adjectives. As i said above, adj are joined by '(ku)te' or 'de'. You wouldn't use 'hiroi' as that means 'wide'/'broad', not big (ookii/dekai - dekai is also an exception - it's an '-ii'/'-oi' adj believe it or not. And so: 'Omee dekakute kirei janee' (you're big and not pretty) in rude insulting language, or, 'Omee dekakute busu yo!' - even ruder (you're big n ugly!) or, polite: 'Anata ha chiisakute (chiichakute is cuter) kirei desuyone' Later. __________________ I'm happy. I'm happy. And I'll punch the man who says I'm not. Happy. Punch. Happy. Punch.
Cheers! Great thread. And I agree it's good to go over the basics even for an advanced learner. If anyone has anything to add feel free!
