7/31/2019 L9 - Adjective Comparison (I- Vs NA-)

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Comparison between I- and NA-Adjectives

What is an adjective?

1. Noun Modifiers It takes the basic form, and precedes noun(s).2. Predicates Predicates to a sentence (giving a property to the subject) where the adjectivetakes the verb position of the sentence, possibly requiring a copula.

I- Adjectives

1. The first group is the adjectives, which always end in the vowel I.

Known as true adjectives.

2. These adjectives are a specialized class of verbs, each with a meaning ofto be [some property]. Adjectival verbs - They blend the properties of adjectives and nouns.

3. Functions. When an I-adjective is placed in front of a noun, it modifies the noun directly. When placed at the end of the sentence, it becomes a predicate.

I-Adjective as a Modifier I-Adjective as a Predicate.

A big mountain.

The mountain is big.

4. When using an I-adjective for the predicate function in formal speech, add afterward to

make the sentence polite.

This is one of the cases where is not actually a copula, since the adjective already

includes the meaning to be.

I-Adjectives (as predicates) can function, and conjugate like verbs.

(Verbs act as predicates, that typically express action, state, and relation between two things and thatmay be inflected for tense, aspect, voice, mood, and agreement/objective.)

Present Negative Replace the final ~ I with ~ku nai

Past Replace the final ~ I with ~katta

Informal

Past Negative Replace the final ~ I with ~ ku nakatta

Add ~desu to all of the informal forms.

Negative Replace ~I with ~ku arimasen.

Formal

Past Negative Add ~deshita to ~ku arimasen.

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NA- Adjectives

1. The second group, the adjectives, are followed by a variety of endings.

Use the suffix when directly modifying nouns.

Use the copula when used to predicate a sentence.

Na-Adjective as a Modifier Na-Adjective as a Predicate.

A pretty flower.

The flower is pretty.

2. In formal speech, in the predicate is replace by .

The result of this is that in formal speech, both - and - adjectives will be followed by

in the predicate position though the reasons in each case are different.

3. Just as with nouns, or change form to express the past tense, negative, and affirmative.

Informal (Plain) Formal (Polite)

Present

Present Negative

Past

Past Negative

4. The root of adjective also functions as a adjectival nouns.

They are not considered adjectives, because they are formed by nouns.

Noun(s) that functions as an adjective by taking the suffix .

o In comparison, regular nouns function as an adjective by taking the particle .

Special ()

Specialty