い-Adjectives: [い-adjective] + [noun]
な-Adjectives: [な-adjective] + な + [noun]
い/な-adj + Noun
JLPT N5Structure
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Basic Structure
Grammar Details
Explanation
Want to say things like “a cold drink” or “a famous singer” in Japanese? Let’s look at how adjectives work before nouns in Japanese.
🟧 Adjective Types Table
| Type | Rule | Example (JP) |
|---|---|---|
| い-adjective | Use as-is before the noun (Use the dictionary form (basic form) which keeps its い ending) | つめたい のみもの (a cold drink) |
| な-adjective | Add な between adjective + noun (which was “missing” when using these adjectives with です) | ゆうめいな かしゅ(a famous singer) |
Key Points to Remember
- For い-adjectives, you simply place the adjective in its dictionary form directly before the noun:
つめたい飲み物 (a cold drink)
おいしいレストラン (a delicious restaurant) - For な-adjectives, you must insert な between the adjective and the noun:
有名な歌手 (a famous singer)
静かな部屋 (a quiet room) - This is different from using adjectives in sentences with です, where な-adjectives don’t use な:
写真はきれいです。(The picture is beautiful.) – No な
きれいな写真 (A beautiful picture) – な is required
Examples
昨日、私は新しい本を買いませんでした。
Yesterday, I didn't buy a new book.
高いレストラン]で[晩御飯を食べました。
I ate dinner at an expensive restaurant.
難しい宿題を友達と一緒にやりました。
I did the difficult homework together with my friend.
綺麗な公園を散歩しませんか。
Would you like to take a walk in the beautiful park?
暇な週末に友達と買い物に行きました。
I went shopping with my friend on a free weekend.
有名な先生の授業を取っています。
I'm taking a class with a famous teacher.
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