N5 · Adjectives and adverbs
na-adjectives
the na-adjective
An adjective that behaves like a noun: な before a noun, だ or です at the end.
The second kind of adjective — 静か (quiet), 元気 (well, lively), 便利 (convenient), 有名 (famous) — has no ending of its own that could change. Before a noun it needs な: 静かな町, "a quiet town". That な is what gives the group its name.
At the end of a sentence a na-adjective behaves exactly like a noun: 町は静かです in polite style, 町は静かだ in plain style. Unlike an i-adjective it cannot be the predicate by itself, so tense and negation go on だ or です, not on the adjective: 静かでした, 静かじゃありません.
Many na-adjectives are two-kanji words borrowed from Chinese — 便利, 簡単, 大切 — and loanwords join the group too: ハンサムな人, シンプルなデザイン. A useful rule of thumb: an adjective written as a kanji compound or in katakana is almost certainly a na-adjective.
The traps are the words that end in い by accident. きれい and 嫌い look like i-adjectives and are not, so learners say きれい部屋 or きれくない. And 好き ("liked") is a na-adjective too, which is why it behaves so differently from the English verb "like".
The form
stem (regular) ending
| it is quiet (plain) | 静かだ |
| it is quiet (polite) | 静かです |
| a quiet town | 静かな町 |
| a convenient shop | 便利な店 |
| a favourite dish | 好きな料理 |
| a handsome man | ハンサムな人 |
The rules one by one
Before a noun, put な between the adjective and the noun.
有名な歌手に会いました。I met a famous singer.
At the end of a sentence, use です in polite style and だ in plain style, as after a noun.
この辞書はとても便利です。This dictionary is very useful.
Tense and negation go on だ or です, never on the adjective.
昨日は暇でした。I was free yesterday.
Words that end in い by accident, such as きれい and 嫌い, still take な.
きれいな部屋ですね。What a clean room.
A closer look
Half adjective, half noun
Many na-adjectives can also be used as nouns: 元気 is "lively" and also "energy", 自由 is "free" and also "freedom". That is the reason they behave like nouns at the end of a sentence, and why dictionaries sometimes list them as "adjectival nouns".
In casual speech the plain だ is often left out or followed by a particle, because a bare だ at the end can sound blunt: 大丈夫？, 大丈夫だよ. In writing and in polite speech, keep it or use です.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the word is 同じ, "the same"
it goes straight before a noun without な: 同じ本, while at the end of a sentence it takes です like any na-adjective.
私たちは同じ学校に通っています。We go to the same school.
同じ kept an older pattern before nouns and joined the na-adjectives only at the end of the sentence.
How to spot it
- 〜な
- 〜だ
- 〜です
- 〜でした
Example sentences
ここは静かな公園です。This is a quiet park.
山田さんはいつも元気ですね。Ms Yamada is always full of energy, isn't she?
地下鉄は便利です。The underground is convenient.
好きな食べ物は何ですか。What is your favourite food?
この問題は簡単だ。This problem is easy.
京都は有名な町です。Kyoto is a famous city.
8 more example sentences
田中さんは親切な人です。Mr Tanaka is a kind person.
日曜日はいつも暇です。I am always free on Sundays.
この町は夜も安全です。This town is safe at night too.
大切な話があります。I have something important to tell you.
私は甘いものが好きです。I like sweet things.
シンプルなデザインのかばんを探しています。I am looking for a bag with a simple design.
駅の前はいつもにぎやかだ。It is always lively in front of the station.
祖父は今も元気です。My grandfather is still in good health.
Worth knowing (1)
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すき and きらい take が
English "like" is a verb with an object. 好き is a na-adjective, so the thing liked is not an object: it is marked with が. Literally the sentence says "as for me, cats are likeable". The same goes for 嫌い, 上手 and 下手.
私は猫が好きです。I like cats.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
きれい ends in い, so it looks like an i-adjective that can go straight before a noun. It is not: the い belongs to the word, and like every na-adjective it needs な. The test is the negative — an i-adjective drops its い (高くない), きれい never does (きれいじゃない).
A na-adjective is a noun at heart: な before a noun, だ or です after it.
Your turn
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