JLPT N5 reference · Adjectives and description
い-adjectives
い-adjectives end in inflecting い and can complete a predicate without だ. They change form for negation and past time.
Core meaning and form
Before a noun, use the adjective directly. At the end of a polite sentence, add です without changing the adjective’s basic grammatical role.
- 高い本.
- この本は高い.
- この本は高いです.
Examples in context
今日は寒いです。Kyō wa samui desu.It is cold today.
おもしろい映画を見ました。Omoshiroi eiga o mimashita.I watched an interesting film.
その店は安くて便利です。Sono mise wa yasukute benri desu.That shop is cheap and convenient.
Common errors
- Do not add だ after an い-adjective.
- Not every word ending in い is an い-adjective; きれい is a な-adjective.
Quick summary
- い-adjectives modify nouns directly.
- They inflect for negative and past.
- です can add politeness to the final predicate.