Adjectives let you describe: the food is delicious, the room is small, the train is fast. Japanese has two types. This lesson covers the first: い-adjectives, which always end in い and change their ending to show negative and past.
Three ways to use an い-adjective
| Use | Pattern | Example | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| before a noun | adj い + noun | おおきい いえ (a big house) | ▶ |
| ending a sentence (polite) | adj い + です | この いえは おおきいです。 | ▶ |
| negative | adj くない + です | おおきくないです。 | ▶ |
The negative drops the final い and adds くないです. A longer polite alternative is くありません: おおきくありません. Careful: いい (good) is irregular. Its negative is よくないです.
Common い-adjectives
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| おおきい | ookii | ठूलो | big | ▶ |
| ちいさい | chiisai | सानो | small | ▶ |
| たかい | takai | महँगो / अग्लो | expensive, high, tall | ▶ |
| やすい | yasui | सस्तो | cheap | ▶ |
| あたらしい | atarashii | नयाँ | new | ▶ |
| ふるい | furui | पुरानो | old (not for people) | ▶ |
| いい / よい | ii / yoi | राम्रो | good | ▶ |
| わるい | warui | नराम्रो | bad | ▶ |
| あつい | atsui | तातो / गर्मी | hot (weather, things) | ▶ |
| さむい | samui | जाडो | cold (weather) | ▶ |
| つめたい | tsumetai | चिसो | cold (to touch) | ▶ |
| おいしい | oishii | मिठो | delicious | ▶ |
| まずい | mazui | अमिलो/नमिठो | bad-tasting | ▶ |
| たのしい | tanoshii | रमाइलो | fun, enjoyable | ▶ |
| おもしろい | omoshiroi | रोचक | interesting, funny | ▶ |
| つまらない | tsumaranai | बोरिङ | boring | ▶ |
| むずかしい | muzukashii | गाह्रो | difficult | ▶ |
| やさしい | yasashii | सजिलो / दयालु | easy; kind | ▶ |
| いそがしい | isogashii | व्यस्त | busy | ▶ |
| ながい | nagai | लामो | long | ▶ |
| みじかい | mijikai | छोटो | short (length) | ▶ |
| はやい | hayai | छिटो / चाँडो | fast, early | ▶ |
| おそい | osoi | ढिलो | slow, late | ▶ |
| ちかい / とおい | chikai / tooi | नजिक / टाढा | near / far | ▶ |
| おもい | omoi | भारी | heavy | ▶ |
| かるい | karui | हलुका | light (weight) | ▶ |
| あかるい | akarui | उज्यालो | bright | ▶ |
| くらい | kurai | अँध्यारो | dark | ▶ |
| いたい | itai | दुख्ने | painful (it hurts) | ▶ |
| ほしい | hoshii | चाहिने | wanted | ▶ |
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| この ラーメンは おいしいです。 | kono raamen wa oishii desu. | यो रामेन मिठो छ। | This ramen is delicious. | ▶ |
| この かばんは たかいです。 | kono kaban wa takai desu. | यो झोला महँगो छ। | This bag is expensive. | ▶ |
| きょうは さむいですね。 | kyou wa samui desu ne. | आज जाडो छ है। | It's cold today, isn't it? | ▶ |
| にほんごは むずかしくないです。 | nihongo wa muzukashikunai desu. | जापानी भाषा गाह्रो छैन। | Japanese is not difficult. | ▶ |
| おおきい かばんを かいました。 | ookii kaban o kaimashita. | मैले ठूलो झोला किनेँ। | I bought a big bag. | ▶ |
| あの みせは やすくないです。 | ano mise wa yasukunai desu. | त्यो पसल सस्तो छैन। | That shop is not cheap. | ▶ |
| きょうは いい てんきです。 | kyou wa ii tenki desu. | आज मौसम राम्रो छ। | The weather is nice today. | ▶ |
| この ラーメンは よくないです。 | kono raamen wa yokunai desu. | यो रामेन राम्रो छैन। | This ramen is not good. | ▶ |
Colours
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あかい | akai | रातो | red | ▶ |
| あおい | aoi | नीलो | blue | ▶ |
| しろい | shiroi | सेतो | white | ▶ |
| くろい | kuroi | कालो | black | ▶ |
| きいろい | kiiroi | पहेँलो | yellow | ▶ |
| みどり | midori | हरियो | green (noun) | ▶ |
| ちゃいろ | chairo | खैरो | brown (noun) | ▶ |
| ピンク | pinku | गुलाबी | pink | ▶ |
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| あかい くるま | akai kuruma | रातो गाडी | a red car | ▶ |
| しろい シャツ | shiroi shatsu | सेतो सर्ट | a white shirt | ▶ |
Intensifiers and joining adjectives
Put とても (very) or ちょっと / すこし (a little) in front. To join two adjectives, change い → くて: やすくて おいしい (cheap and delicious).
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| とても おいしいです。 | totemo oishii desu. | निकै मिठो छ। | It is very delicious. | ▶ |
| ちょっと たかいです。 | chotto takai desu. | अलि महँगो छ। | It is a bit expensive. | ▶ |
| やすくて おいしいです。 | yasukute oishii desu. | सस्तो र मिठो छ। | It is cheap and delicious. | ▶ |
| どうですか。 | dou desu ka. | कस्तो छ? | How is it? | ▶ |
Kanji spotlight
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली | English | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 大きい | ookii | ठूलो | big | ▶ |
| 小さい | chiisai | सानो | small | ▶ |
| 高い | takai | महँगो / अग्लो | expensive, high | ▶ |
| 安い | yasui | सस्तो | cheap | ▶ |
| 新しい | atarashii | नयाँ | new | ▶ |
| 古い | furui | पुरानो | old | ▶ |
| 多い | ooi | धेरै | many | ▶ |
| 少ない | sukunai | थोरै | few | ▶ |
Dialogue: shopping for a coat
| Japanese | Romaji | नेपाली / English | Listen | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | この コートは どうですか。 | kono kooto wa dou desu ka. | यो कोट कस्तो छ? How about this coat? | ▶ |
| B | いいですね。 でも、ちょっと たかいです。 | ii desu ne. demo, chotto takai desu. | राम्रो छ। तर अलि महँगो छ। It's nice. But a bit expensive. | ▶ |
| A | あの あおい コートは やすいですよ。 | ano aoi kooto wa yasui desu yo. | ऊ नीलो कोट सस्तो छ। That blue coat over there is cheap. | ▶ |
| B | ほんとうですか。 あたたかいですか。 | hontou desu ka. atatakai desu ka. | साँच्चै? न्यानो छ? Really? Is it warm? | ▶ |
| A | はい、とても あたたかいです。 | hai, totemo atatakai desu. | हजुर, निकै न्यानो छ। Yes, very warm. | ▶ |
Every ▶ button plays a clear computer voice, which is good for learning sounds and rhythm but is not a native speaker. Pitch (the rise and fall of the voice) can sound a little flat. Also listen to real Japanese as often as you can: videos, news for learners (NHK Easy), and Japanese people around you.
Check yourself
Try to answer every question before you look at the answers.
- What do い-adjectives always end in?
- Make the negative of おおきい (polite).
- Make the negative of いい.
- Say "This ramen is delicious."
- Say "a big house".
- Say "It's cold today, isn't it?"
- Join: cheap + delicious.
- What is the opposite of たかい (price)?
- Read: 大きい, 小さい.
- Ask "How is it?"
Answers
Count your correct answers. If you got fewer than 7 out of 10, read the lesson again and listen to the audio once more.
- い.
- おおきくないです。
- よくないです。
- この ラーメンは おいしいです。
- おおきい いえ.
- きょうは さむいですね。
- やすくて おいしい。
- やすい.
- おおきい, ちいさい.
- どうですか。
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