When learning a new language, verbs and conjugations go hand in hand. But in Japanese, that’s not the only part of speech that’s conjugated! Japanese adjectives get the past, present, and future treatment, too. To describe people, weather, food, and more, understanding Japanese adjective conjugation is important for clear communication.
For a deeper understanding, put Japanese adjective and verb conjugation into practice with Rosetta Stone tutoring. You can reinforce your knowledge in real-time with expert language instructors, ask questions about core lesson content, and get personalized feedback.
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How do Japanese adjectives work?
Japanese adjectives are split into two categories: i-adjectives and na-adjectives. They are named and identified based on how the word ends, similar to how Japanese verbs can be called u-verbs and ru-verbs.
When using them, remember what adjectives are. Adjectives describe nouns or noun phrases. This typically presents itself in one of two ways. Nouns can be preceded by an adjective, as in “a beautiful bird,” or described after the noun, as in “the bird is beautiful.” This is not to be confused with adverbs, which explain how an action is done, as in “the bird flew beautifully.”
Japanese i-adjectives
All i-adjectives end in the Japanese character i (い), so they’re easy to identify. They are also the most common type of adjective and function most similarly to English adjectives.
Japanese na-adjectives
Japanese na-adjectives are a little more unique. They are also known as keiyoudoushi (形容動詞), or “adjectival nouns.” The na (な) is only used when the adjective goes before the noun it’s describing. The good news is that na-adjective conjugation is really just the conjugation of the Japanese word for “to be,” making them easier to use in a sentence.
Common Japanese adjectives lists
What Japanese adjectives should you learn first? Words pertaining to daily life are a good place to start. One of the standard phrases Japanese learners see first is the question “How are you doing?” and its answer, which both use the adjective for “healthy” or “energetic.”
- Ogenki desu ka?（お元気ですか？） = How are you doing? (Literally: Are you well?)
- Genki desu. (元気です。） = I’m doing well.
This is but one of several adjectives you may find useful when first starting Japanese. Many of the adjectives below are perfect for adding to your repertoire of Japanese words and phrases for travel!
Japanese adjectives for general use
| Adjective type | Japanese | English |
| i-adjective | いいii | good |
| i-adjective | 悪い（わるい）warui | bad |
| i-adjective | 危ない（あぶない）abunai | dangerous |
| na-adjective | 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ）daijōbu | okay |
| i-adjective | 面白い（おもしろい）omoshiroi | interesting |
| na-adjective | 大変（たいへん）taihen | tough (situation) |
Japanese adjectives to describe objects
| Adjective type | Japanese | English |
| i-adjective | 小さい（ちいさい）chiisai | small |
| i-adjective | 大きい（おおきい）ōkii | big |
| i-adjective | 古い（ふるい）furui | old |
| i-adjective | 新しい（あたらしい）atarashii | new |
| i-adjective | 冷たい（つめたい）tsumetai | cold (touch) |
| i-adjective | 熱い（あつい）atsui | hot (touch) |
| i-adjective | 軽い（かるい）karui | light |
| i-adjective | 重い（おもい）omoi | heavy |
| i-adjective | 安い（やすい）yasui | cheap |
| i-adjective | 高い（たかい）takai | expensive; tall |
Japanese adjectives to describe a person
| Adjective type | Japanese | English |
| na-adjective | 元気（げんき）genki | healthy; energetic |
| na-adjective | 静か（しずか）shizuka | quiet |
| i-adjective | うるさいurusai | noisy |
| na-adjective | 上手（じょうず）jōzu | skilled |
| na-adjective | 下手（へた）heta | unskillful; awkward |
| i-adjective | 強い（つよい）tsuyoi | strong |
| i-adjective | 弱い（よわい）yowai | weak |
| i-adjective | 背が高い（せがたかい）se ga takai | tall |
| i-adjective | 背が低い（せがひくい）se ga hikui | short |
| i-adjective | 美しい（うつくしい）utsukushii | beautiful |
Japanese adjectives to describe weather and places
| Adjective type | Japanese | English |
| i-adjective | 寒い（さむい）samui | cold (weather) |
| i-adjective | 暑い（あつい）atsui | hot (weather) |
| i-adjective | 涼しい（すずしい）suzushii | cool |
| i-adjective | 暖かい（あたたかい）atatakai | warm |
| i-adjective | 明るい（あかるい）akarui | bright |
| i-adjective | 暗い（くらい）kurai | dark |
| i-adjective | 広い（ひろい）hiroi | wide |
| i-adjective | 狭い（せまい）semai | narrow |
| i-adjective | 汚い（きたない）kitanai | dirty |
| na-adjective | きれい（きれい）kirei | beautiful; clean |
Grammar note: Some tricky na-adjectives, like kirei, end in i and conjugate like normal na-adjectives. They are few and far between but need special attention to ensure they are used correctly.
Japanese adjectives to describe food
| Adjective type | Japanese | English |
| i-adjective | 美味しい（おいしい）oishii | delicious |
| i-adjective | 酸っぱい（すっぱい）suppai | sour |
| i-adjective | 甘い（あまい）amai | sweet |
| i-adjective | 辛い（からい）karai | spic
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