Lesson_08_Grammar.md

Lesson 8^Youtube

8.1 Adjectives

Adjectives are used as predicates, and in sentences like Nは adjです they indicates the state of a noun or are used to modify a noun. They are divided into one of two groups, い-adjectives and な-adjectives, depending on how they inflect.

8.2 N は な-adj［な］です
N は い-adj（〜い）です

Adjective sentences that are non-past and affirmative end in です, which shows politeness toward the listener. Both types of adjective are attached to the front of です, but な-adjectives drop their な, while い-adjectives retain their（〜い）.

ワット先（せん）生（せい）は 親（しん）切（せつ）です。 Mr.Watt is kind.

富（ふ）士（じ）山（さん）は 高（たか）いです。 Mt.Fuji is high.

8.2.1 な-adj［な］じゃ（では）ありません

The non-past negative of a な-adj is formed by dropping the な and attaching じゃ（では）ありません to it.

あそこは 静（しず）かじゃ（では）ありません。 It is not quiet there.

8.2.2 い-adj（〜い）です → 〜くないです

The non-past negative of a い-adj is formed by dropping the final い and attaching くないです to it.

この 本（ほん）は 面（おも）白（しろ）くないです。 This book is not interesting.

[Note] The negative of いいです is よくないです.

8.2.3 Adjectival Inflections

	な-adjectives	い-adjectives
Non-past affirmative	しんせつです	たかいです
Non-past negative	しんせつじゃ（では）ありません	たかくないです

8.2.4 Questions using adjective sentences

Questions using adjective sentences are formed in the same way as those using noun sentences (see Lesson 1) and verb sentences (see Lesson 4). To answer such a question, the adjective is repeated. Expressions such as そうです or ちがいます cannot be used.

ペキンは 寒（さむ）いですか。 Is it cold in Beijing? …… はい、寒（さむ）いです。 …… Yes, it is [cold].

奈（な）良（ら）公（こう）園（えん）は にぎやかですか。 Is Nara Park busy? …… いいえ、にぎやかじゃ ありません。 …… No, it isn't [busy].

8.3 な-adj な N
い-adj（〜い）N

When an adjective is used to modify a noun, it is placed in front of the noun. な-adjectives keep their な in this case.

ワット先（せん）生（せい）は 親（しん）切（せつ）な 先（せん）生（せい）です。 Mr.Watt is a considerate teacher.

富（ふ）士（じ）山（さん）は 高（たか）い 山（やま）です。 Mt.Fuji is a high mountain.

8.4 〜が、〜

が connects two statements in an antithetical relationship. When these are adjective clauses with the same subject, if the initial clause remarks on the subject positively, the subsequent clause will remark on it negatively, and vice versa.

日（に）本（ほん）の 食（た）べ物（もの）は おいしですが、高（たか）いです。 Japanese food is delicious, but it is expensive.

8.5 とても／あまり

とても and あまり are both adverbs of degree, and both come before the adjectives they modify. とても is used in affirmative sentences, and means 'very'. あまり, used with a negative, means 'not very'.

ペキンは とても 寒（さむ）いです。 Beijing is very cold.

これは とても 有（ゆう）名（めい）な 映（えい）画（が）です。 This is a very famous movie.

シャンヘイは あまり 寒（さむ）くないです。 Shanghai is not very cold.

桜（さくら）大（だい）学（がく）は あまり 有（ゆう）名（めい）な 大（だい）学（がく）じゃ ありません。 Sakura University is not a very well-known university.

8.6 N は どうですか

The question N は どうですか is used to inquire about the listener's impression, option or feelings about a thing, place, person, etc. that he or she has experienced, visited or met.

日（に）本（ほん）の 生（せい）活（かつ）は どうですか。 How do you find life in Japan? …… 楽（たの）しいです。 …… It's fun.

8.7 N₁ は どんな N₂ ですか

どんな modifies a noun and is an interrogative used for inquring about the state or nature of a person, thing, etc.

奈（な）良（ら）は どんな 町（まち）ですか。 What sort of town is Nara? …… 古（ふる）い 町（まち）です。 …… It's an old town.

8.8 そうですね

The use of the expression そうですね to express agreement or sympathy was explained in Lesson 5. The そうですね that appears in the Conversation of this Lesson shows that the speaker is thinking, as in the below sentence.

お仕（し）事（ごと）は どうですか。 How's your work going? …… そうですね。忙（いそが）しいですが、おもしろいです。 …… Well, it's busy, but it's interesting.