Japanese Adjectives and Counters

Overview

This lecture covers Genki 1 Lesson 5, focusing on Japanese adjectives (e- and na-), their conjugations, modifying nouns, expressing likes/dislikes, forming "let's" statements, and using counters.

Types of Japanese Adjectives

• There are two types of adjectives: i-adjectives (ending in い) and na-adjectives.
• I-adjectives end in the い character and conjugate directly.
• Na-adjectives may not always end in な and require memorization for exceptions.

Conjugating Adjectives

• I-adjective present: tanoshii (fun), can add desu for politeness.
• I-adjective negative: replace い with くない (tanoshiku nai = not fun).
• Na-adjective present: use as is or add desu for politeness.
• Na-adjective negative: add じゃない (genki janai = not energetic).
• "Good" (いい) is colloquially used, but conjugates as よい (yokunai, yokatta).

Past Tense of Adjectives

• I-adjective past: replace い with かった (tanoshikatta = was fun).
• I-adjective past negative: くない becomes くなかった (tanoshikunakatta = was not fun).
• Na-adjective past: add でした (genki deshita).
• Na-adjective past negative: じゃない becomes じゃなかった (genki janakatta).

Modifying Nouns with Adjectives

• I-adjectives: directly precede the noun (tanoshii hito = fun person).
• Na-adjectives: add な between adjective and noun (kirei na keshiki = pretty view).

Expressing Likes and Dislikes

• Use 好き (suki = like) and 嫌い (kirai = dislike) as na-adjectives.
• Sentence structure: X は Y が好きです (X likes Y); X は Y が嫌いです (X dislikes Y).
• To modify nouns: 好きな動物 (animal I like), 嫌いな食べ物 (food I dislike).
• Intensifiers: 大好き (daisuki = love), 大嫌い (daikirai = hate).
• Use が with suki and kirai.

"Let's" in Japanese

• Masu-stem + ましょう (mashou) forms "let's" statements (tabemashou = let's eat).
• Add か (ka) for "shall we?" (tabemashou ka? = shall we eat?).

Counters in Japanese

• Counters are used with numbers to count objects.
• 枚 (mai) is the counter for thin, flat objects (paper, plates).
• Structure: noun + number + counter (kami wo nimai = two sheets of paper).
• Flexible placement: before or after the noun.
• Use general counters (ひとつ, ふたつ, etc.) if unsure of the specific counter.

Key Terms & Definitions

• I-adjective (い-adjective) — Adjective ending in い, conjugates by changing the ending.
• Na-adjective (な-adjective) — Adjective modifying nouns with な, conjugates with desu/ja nai.
• Desu (です) — Politeness marker, "is/am/are."
• Suki (好き) — To like, treated as a na-adjective.
• Kirai (嫌い) — To dislike, treated as a na-adjective.
• Masu-stem — The verb stem used before ます or ましょう.
• Counter — Word used with numbers to count objects (e.g., 枚).
• Mai (枚) — Counter for flat objects.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review Genki 1 Lesson 5 textbook exercises on adjectives, "let's" forms, and counters.
• Memorize adjective conjugation patterns for present, negative, and past tenses.
• Practice using suki/kirai sentence structures and modifying nouns with adjectives.
• Prepare answers to "どんな音楽が好きですか？" (What kind of music do you like?).