Introduction
In Japanese, both い-adjectives (i-adjectives) and な-adjectives (na-adjectives) can be modified to function as adverbs. This is useful when you want to describe how an action is performed. For い-adjectives, you change the ending い (i) to く (ku). For な-adjectives, you change the ending な (na) to に (ni). This guide will explain how to transform adjectives into adverbs with examples.
Examples
1. い-Adjectives to Adverbs
With い-adjectives, you drop the final い (i) and add く (ku) to make an adverb.
- 楽しい (tanoshii) – fun (adjective)
- 楽しく (tanoshiku) – enjoyably (adverb)
Example Sentences:
- 日本語のクラスは楽しいです。 (Nihongo no kurasu wa tanoshii desu.) – The Japanese class is fun.
- 毎日日本語を楽しく勉強しています。 (Mainichi nihongo o tanoshiku benkyou shiteimasu.) – I enjoy studying Japanese every day.
In the second sentence, 楽しい (tanoshii) is changed to 楽しく (tanoshiku) to describe how the action of studying is done, indicating that it is enjoyable.
2. な-Adjectives to Adverbs
With な-adjectives, you drop the final な (na) and add に (ni) to make an adverb.
- 上手な (jouzu na) – skilled/good at (adjective)
- 上手に (jouzu ni) – skillfully (adverb)
Example Sentences:
- マリアさんは料理が上手です。 (Maria-san wa ryouri ga jouzu desu.) – Maria is good at cooking.
- マリアさんは上手に料理ができます。 (Maria-san wa jouzu ni ryouri ga dekimasu.) – Maria cooks well.
In the second sentence, 上手な (jouzu na) becomes 上手に (jouzu ni) to describe how Maria cooks, indicating that she does it skillfully.
Conclusion
Turning adjectives into adverbs in Japanese is a straightforward process that allows you to describe actions more precisely. By changing い-adjectives to く (ku) and changing な-adjectives to に (ni), you can modify verbs and make your sentences more expressive.
