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Many learners struggle to get used to Japanese adjective conjugation. Let’s review the basic rules and cement your knowledge.

Why do adjectives conjugate? Is it necessary?

Yes. Adjective conjugation is one of the most important aspects of Japanese grammar. Conjugated adjectives are necessary to express negation, tense, conditional, etc.

Here are 7 conjugation patterns of adjectives. 

• Attribute form
• Infinitive form
• Negative form
• Adverb form
• Conjunctive form (Te-form)
• Past form (Ta-form)
• Conditional form (Ba-form)

And there are 2 kinds of adjectives in Japanese: い-adjectives and な-adjectives. So why are there 2 kinds? This is because な-adjectives were invented later than い-adjectives. During the Heian period (795-1185), there were not enough adjectives to describe complex concepts. So they converted some nouns into adjectives by adding な at the end. This is how な-adjectives were made. Therefore, い-adjectives often describe fundamental concepts such as emotions, sensations, and colors, while な-adjectives tend to describe abstract concepts such as states of things.

い-adjectives end with い, and な-adjectives end with な. See the following adjectives. Can you guess which is which?

あつい・きれいな・たのしい・かわいい・にぎやかな・べんりな

The answer is, あつい, たのしい, and かわいい are い-adjectives, and きれいな, にぎやかな, and べんりな are な-adjectives. Easy! Both types of adjectives are used in the same way in sentences. The only difference is the pattern of conjugation.

In summary, Japanese adjectives have 7 conjugation forms, and each of the 2 adjective types has its own conjugation pattern. Therefore, to use an adjective correctly, you must know at least 14 patterns. Let’s look at them one at a time!

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Attribute form

Any adjectives ending with い or な are in the attribute form. The attribute form of an adjective is a basic form that is used to describe nouns. You can put them directly before nouns, just like English adjectives.

かわいい ねこ　a cute cat にぎやかな みち　a busy street

And you need to remember the attribute forms to know the stem of an adjective. 

かわいい

にぎやかな

The stem is a fixed part that is not affected by conjugation. In this example, かわい and にぎやか are the stems. Conjugation changes the parts in red: the last い and な in the attribute form. 

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Infinitive form

The infinitive form is used when an adjective is at the end of a sentence.

ねこ は かわいい。　The cat is cute. みち は にぎやかだ。　The street is busy.

For the infinitive form, い-adjectives are the same as the attribute form, while な-adjectives change to “stem+だ”. This だ is a short form of です. だ/です are auxiliary verbs that are used at the end of assertive sentences. Assertive sentences are sentences like “X is Y” and their endings are always nouns or adjectives. です is politer than だ and more common in polite conversation.

ねこ は かわいい +です。　The cat is cute. (polite) みち は にぎやかです。　The street is busy. (polite)

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Negative form

When the sentence is negative, you must change the adjective to negative form.

ねこ は かわいくない。　The cat is not cute. みち は にぎやかじゃない。　The street is not busy.

For the negative form, い-adjectives change to “stem+くない”, and な-adjectives change to “stem+じゃない”. If you say かわいいじゃない/にぎやかくない, it’s wrong because かわいい is an い-adjective and にぎやかな is a な-adjective. Please do not mix up these 2 conjugation patterns. 

かわいいじゃない – Not correct! にぎやかくない – Not correct!

The negative form can be used in front of nouns just like the attribute form.

かわいくない ねこ　 not a cute cat にぎやかじゃない みち　not a busy street

And of course, when it’s the last word of a sentence, you can add です at the end in order to make the sentence more polite. 

ねこ は かわいくない +です。　The cat is not cute. (polite) みち は にぎやかじゃない +です。　The street is not busy. (polite)

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Adverb form

You can turn adjectives into adverbs using the adverb form. Adverbs are content words to describe verbs or adjectives. For example, “slow” is an adjective, and “slowly” is an adverb. Here are the adverb forms:

ねこ は かわいく ねた。　 The cat slept cutely. こども は にぎやかに あそんだ。　The children played merrily.

For the adverb form, い-adjectives change to “stem+く”, and な-adjectives change to “stem+に”. Japanese grammatical order is: Subject+Object+Verb, while English is SVO. So verbs are always at the end of sentences. Adverbs are usually right before verbs. 

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Conjugative form (Te-form)

When you list 2 or more adjectives in one sentence, you must change the adjectives into the conjugative form except the last one. Let’s look at an example.

いぬ は かわいくて、にぎやかで、たのしい。　Dogs are cute, lively, and fun.

There are 3 adjectives in this sentence; かわいい, にぎやかな, たのしい. The first and second adjectives must be in the conjunctive forms in order to connect to the next adjective. For the conjunctive form, い-adjectives change to “stem+くて” and な-adjectives change to “stem+で”. The conjugative forms cannot be used at the end of sentences.

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Past form (Ta-form)

The past form expresses the past tense.

ねこ は かわいかった。　The cat was cute. みち は にぎやかだった。　The street was busy.

For the past form, い-adjectives change to “stem+かった”, and な-adjectives change to “stem+だった”. Like other forms, the past form can be put in front of nouns, too.

かわいかった ねこ　The cat that was cute. にぎやかだった みち　The street that was busy.

Can you add です at the end to the past form when it’s at the end of a sentence? Yes and no. Look at the examples.

ねこ は かわいかった +です。　The cat was cute. (polite) みち は にぎやかでした。　The street was busy. (polite)

For い-adjectives, you can add です after the past form. However, for な-adjectives, “stem+だった” changes to “stem+でした” when it’s polite. This is because だった is a short form of でした. Do not mix up these rules. かわいかったでした/にぎやかだったです are incorrect.

かわいかったでした – Not correct! にぎやかだったです – Not correct!

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Conditional form (Ba-form)

The conditional form expresses conditions. It’s the part of the sentence which contains “if” in sentences such as: “If it’s sunny tomorrow, I will go outside.”

ねこ が かわいければ もらいます。　I will get the cat if it is cute. パーティ が にぎやかならば/であれば いきます　I will go to the party if it is lively.

For the conditional form, い-adjectives change to “stem+ければ” and な-adjectives change to “stem+ならば/であれば”.

The past form +ら also works as the conditional form.

ねこ が かわいかった +ら もらいます。　I will get the cat if it is cute. パーティ が にぎやかだった +ら いきます　I will go to the party if it is lively.

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Here is a summary.

	いadjective	なadjective
Attribute form	stem+い	stem+な
Infinitive form	stem+い (+です)	stem+だ (or です)
Negative form	stem+くない (+です)	stem+じゃない (+です)
Adverb form	stem+く	stem+に
Conjugative form (Te-form)	stem+くて	stem+で
Past form (Ta-form)	stem+かった (+です)	stem+だった (or でした)
Conditional form (Ba-form)	stem+ければ	stem+ならば/であれば

So, how can you change the conjugative form, the past form, and the conditional form to the negative?  What are the differences among the several conditional forms? Take a Japanese lesson to find out the answer!

We live in an age where most information is available on the internet, but tacit understandings of culture and customs are still difficult to access. In this article, I will introduce some Japan-specific characteristics related to medical clinics.

Winter will soon be over. Many of you may be planning a trip to Japan at the moment. Travelling is fun, but it can also bring unexpected trouble. To ensure that most of your holiday memories are not of travel-related hassles, it is important to anticipate and prepare for emergencies in advance.

Overview of Japanese clinics

In Japan, premises where doctors or dentists practise medicine or dentistry (except clinics which specialise in dentistry only) and which do not have in-patient facilities for patients, or with in-patient facilities for 19 patients or fewer are classified as clinics rather than hospitals (1). The most common providers of clinics in Japan are medical corporations, accounting for 40% of the total. This is followed by individual medical practitioners, who also account for around 40% of the total. In contrast to which, the percentage of the national government, public medical institutions and social insurance-related organisations totals around 5% (2). So unless you are going to have a major operation, you will go to the nearest private clinic from where you are staying.

Where can you find Japanese clinics?

In urban areas such as Tokyo and Osaka, there are many clinics within walking distance of any district. Most private clinics in Japan are not very large and are about the size of a café or hair salon in urban areas. Clinics in buildings can be even smaller. Some have exteriors and interiors that are so stylish that you might not notice they are clinics at first. Some are located in shopping malls. Some are new, as if they were built yesterday, some are old-fashioned, as if time has stood still for more than 50 years. The atmosphere of private clinics in Japan really depends on the taste of the medical corporation or the owner, but there is little difference in price unless it is for cosmetic treatment. When you arrive at your hotel, search for clinics in your neighbourhood using Google Map.

Possible barriers to visiting Japanese clinics:

Language

Service in foreign languages is not available in most clinics in Japan. Even in clinics that state that they are “English-speaking”, there is often only one English-speaking staff member on duty, and when that person is taking time off, no one will be available to help you in English. Even so, if the injury is minor, it might be possible to communicate with the medical staff. If you suddenly become ill and the cause is unknown, or if you have a chronic illness or allergy that is difficult to explain, it is safer to choose a clinic for foreigners or a clinic with foreign doctors on staff. Here is the Tourism Agency website you can search for clinics and information in various languages.

Shoes

In some Japanese clinics, you may have to remove your shoes and change into slippers when entering. This practice was a device to prevent tetanus bacteria, micro-organisms and mould from mud on the shoes from being introduced into the clinic at a time when the roads were not yet paved. Now that the roads are paved, such problems have largely disappeared, and the hygiene of shared slippers tends to be seen as a problem more than that. So most new clinics allow patients to enter with their shoes on. If you don’t want to take your shoes off in a clinic, check before you go whether they accept that or not; you can probably tell this from the photos of the clinic’s interior on Google Maps.

Waiting time

As you know, Japan is a country with a large elderly population. In addition, Japan’s national health insurance system is very inexpensive for individuals to pay for medical care, with those aged 70 and over paying 20% of the cost and those aged 75 and over paying 10% (3). For example, a medical examination alone costs only a few hundred yen per visit. This is why some elderly people go to the clinic almost every morning. Because there are so many of them, some clinics complete elderly group consultations first, putting off seeing the other patients until later. Therefore, you may have to wait for more than an hour if you go in the morning. For clinics with prominent reviews stating “long waiting time”, try to go in the early afternoon, just after lunch break.

Although Japan has a National Medical Insurance program, tourists are not covered by it, so make sure you purchase comprehensive travel insurance which includes medical care before you go. Not confident enough to go to the clinic on your own? Ask a teacher who lives in your travel destination directly in a Japanese lesson about the appointment process and the necessary medical vocabulary at the clinic.

References:

1. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (2008), Glossary of terms, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/iryosd/08/dl/02.pdf
2. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (2021), Overview of the 2021 Medical Facilities (Dynamic) Survey and Hospital Report, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/iryosd/21/dl/02sisetu03.pdf
3. Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (2020), Partial (co-payment) ratio of medical expenses, https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000937919.pdf

Even though idioms are not basic nouns or verbs, they are among the most essential expressions in everyday speech. Like other languages, Japanese has many idioms using body parts. In this article, I would like to introduce some of the most common idioms used in everyday life.

Do you know what the following idioms mean?:

耳(みみ)が遠(とお)い　one’s ears are far away
顔(かお)が広(ひろ)い　one’s face is wide
口(くち)が軽(かる)い　one’s mouth is light

耳(みみ)が遠(とお)い　one’s ears are far away

Understanding this idiom is relatively simple. What happens when your ears are far away? The correct answer is ‘difficulty in hearing’. 耳(みみ)が遠(とお)い is an idiom that describes a condition of having poor hearing. It is easy to remember the idiom this way, but in fact the word 遠(とお)い(distant) used in this idiom means ‘sluggish’, which describes a condition in which a person’s hearing has deteriorated due to ageing or a chronic illness. There are other idioms that use this second meaning of 遠(とお)い. For example, 気(き)が遠(とお)くなる(one’s mind becomes sluggish) is a state of being so shocked that one becomes dazed. It is often used to exaggerate the degree of surprise rather than the actual state of fainting.

Examples:
耳(みみ)が遠(とお)いので、大(おお)きな声(こえ)で話(はな)してください
I’m deaf/I have poor hearing, so please speak louder.

祝日(しゅくじつ)も残業(ざんぎょう)なんて気(き)が遠(とお)くなる
I can’t deal with working overtime on public holidays.

顔(かお)が広(ひろ)い　one’s face is wide

広(ひろ)い means ‘large in area’. If you hear this idiom for the first time, it may sound like a swear word meaning ‘You have a big face’. In Japanese, however, this expression is rather complimentary. The Japanese word 顔(かお) (face) has a metaphorical meaning of ‘visibility’. For example, the idiom 顔(かお)が利(き)く(one’s face is valid) means that the person’s name recognition works to his/her advantage. For example, receiving a special discount at a restaurant owned by a friend. 顔(かお)が広(ひろ)いdescribes a state in which person’s name recognition works over a wide area. Generally, it is someone who has a lot of friends in society and powerful. If you say 大(おお)きい (large) instead of 広(ひろ)い (large in area), that literally means “your face is big”, so make sure you don’t say it wrong!

Examples:
田中(たなか)さんはこの店(みせ)に顔(かお)が利(き)く
Ms. Tanaka is recognised in this shop (and therefore guaranteed priority).

山本(やまもと)さんはIT業界(ぎょうかい)で顔(かお)が広(ひろ)い
Mr. Yamamoto has a lot of friends/power in the IT industry.

口(くち)が軽(かる)い　one’s mouth is light

As in other languages, 軽(かる)い (light) has many figurative meanings. When 軽(かる)い is used in Japanese to refer to a body part or person, it often means ‘frivolous and untrustworthy’. For example, 尻(しり)が軽(かる)い (one’s hips are light) describes someone (mainly women) who is shifty and quickly cheats on their partners, etc. Similarly, 口(くち)が軽(かる)い describes someone who is talkative and is quick to reveal secrets or information that should not be told. Also, 彼(かれ)は軽(かる)い (he is light) indicates someone who is not trustworthy, lacking in sincerity or discretion, even if his words and deeds are friendly. However, 心 (こころ)が軽(かる)い (light-hearted) is the same expression as in English and is positive. It describes a state of being free from worry and feeling fine.

Examples:
口(くち)が軽(かる)いのは彼女(かのじょ)の欠点(けってん)だ
Her inability to keep secrets is her downfall.

試験(しけん)が終(お)わって心(こころ)が軽(かる)い
Light hearted after the exam.

Idioms composed of nouns and adjectives

The idioms introduced in this article consist of a combination of nouns and adjectives. Adjectives have antonyms, but it is important to note that the meaning of an idiom does not follow the rule. For example, the antonym for 遠(とお)い(distant) is 近(ちか)い(close), but 耳(みみ)が近(ちか)いmeans the state of being quick to obtain rumours. The state of being able to hear well is 耳(みみ)がいい (one’s ears are good). An antonym for 口(くち)が軽(かる)い is 口(くち)が堅(かた)い (one’s month is firm). It is not 重(おも)い (heavy). 堅(かた)い denotes rigid and inflexible. Understanding these nuances helps to understand not only the meaning of the idiom, but also the image the Japanese have of the word. When you find a new idiom, also look for its antonyms and synonyms. And don’t forget to pay attention to what differences there are from the idioms in your mother tongue.

Reference:
Weblio辞典 https://www.weblio.jp/phrase/%E8%BA%AB%E4%BD%93_1

デジタル大辞泉・小学館 https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E9%81%A0%E3%81%84/