Introduction
In Japanese, adjectives are essential for describing people, places, and things. But did you know that there are two types of adjectives in Japanese?
This article focuses on one of them: な-adjectives（な形容詞）.
You’ll learn:
✔ What な-adjectives are
✔ How to use them in affirmative and negative sentences
✔ Common examples and conjugation rules
✔ The difference from い-adjectives
✔ Practice and FAQs
Let’s explore this important building block of Japanese grammar!
What Are な-Adjectives?
Japanese adjectives are divided into two groups:
- な-adjectives (e.g., きれいな, げんきな)
- い-adjectives (e.g., おいしい, たのしい)
な-adjectives usually end with “な” when modifying a noun.
Examples:
- きれいな部屋（へや）＝ a clean room
- 元気（げんき）な人（ひと）＝ a healthy/energetic person
- 静（しず）かな町（まち）＝ a quiet town
When used at the end of a sentence, the な is dropped, and the adjective is followed by です (polite form).
Sentence Patterns
Affirmative
[Subject] は [な-adjective] です。
→ Describes something in a positive way.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 山田（やまだ）さんは元気です。 | Mr. Yamada is energetic. |
| この町（まち）は静（しず）かです。 | This town is quiet. |
| 私（わたし）の部屋（へや）はきれいです。 | My room is clean. |
💡 Pro tip: Don’t say: 静かなです ❌
The correct form is: 静かです ✅
Negative
Change です into:
- じゃないです (casual polite)
- じゃありません / ではありません (formal)
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 山田さんは元気じゃないです。 | Mr. Yamada is not energetic. |
| 海（うみ）はきれいじゃありません。 | The sea is not clean. |
| 日曜日はひまではありません。 | I’m not free on Sunday. |
Common な-Adjectives
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| きれい（な） | pretty; clean |
| すき（な） | to like |
| きらい（な） | to dislike |
| 元気（げんき）（な） | healthy; energetic |
| 静か（しずか）（な） | quiet |
| にぎやか（な） | lively |
| ひま（な） | free (time); not busy |
Conjugation Practice
Try converting these into affirmative and negative forms:
| Base | Affirmative | Negative (casual / formal) |
|---|---|---|
| きれい（な） | きれいです | きれいじゃないです / きれいじゃありません |
| すき（な） | 好きです | 好きじゃないです / 好きじゃありません |
| げんき（な） | 元気です | 元気じゃないです / 元気ではありません |
| ひま（な） | ひまです | ひまじゃないです / ひまではありません |
Mini Conversations
ケンさんの町はにぎやかですか？
Is your town lively, Ken?
いいえ、にぎやかじゃないです。
No, it’s not lively.
静かです。
It is quiet.
ケンさんの部屋はきれいですか？
Is your room clean, Ken?
もちろん！きれいです。
Of course! It is clean.
今日はひまですか？
Are you free today?
いいえ、ひまじゃないです。
No, I am not free.
いそがしいです。
I am busy.
Note: “いそがしい” is an い-Adjective
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QWhat’s the difference between な-adjectives and い-adjectives?
- A
The key difference is whether you need to add な (na) before the noun.
- い-adjectives (i-adjectives) typically end in い (i) and connect directly to the noun they modify.
- な-adjectives (na-adjectives) require な (na) between the adjective and the noun they modify.
- QWhy is きれい a な-adjective even though it ends in い?
- A
Great question! Some な-adjectives look like い-adjectives but are not.
Words like きれい（な） and ゆうめい（な） are common examples — just memorize them.
- QIs there a more formal way to say “じゃないです”?
- A
Yes! Use じゃありません or ではありません, especially in formal writing or speech.
Conclusion
Now you can:
✅ Identify な-adjectives
✅ Use them in positive and negative sentences
✅ Answer and ask questions with them
🎯 Practice by describing yourself or your surroundings using な-adjectives. For example:
- わたしは元気です。
- このカフェはにぎやかです。
- 今日はひまじゃないです。
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