Introduction
In Japanese, there are two kinds of adjectives: I-adjectives and NA-adjectives. Today, let’s learn how to use NA-adjectives when they come at the end of a sentence (as predicates).
What It Means
NA-adjectives describe things just like I-adjectives, but they work a little differently.
When you use a NA-adjective at the end of a sentence, you need to add です or a similar word. This shows politeness, tense (past or present), and whether the sentence is positive or negative.
When You Use It
Use a NA-adjective as a predicate when you want to describe a person, place, or thing at the end of the sentence.
For example:
• To say “Alice is kind.” → put the adjective at the end with です.
• To say “Alice is not kind.” → change it to negative with じゃないです.
Examples
1. Present, affirmative
アリスさんは親切です。
(Arisu-san wa shinsetsu desu.)
Alice is kind.
2. Present, negative
アリスさんは親切じゃないです。
(Arisu-san wa shinsetsu janai desu.)
Alice is not kind.
3. Past, affirmative
アリスさんは元気でした。
(Arisu-san wa genki deshita.)
Alice was well.
4. Past, negative
アリスさんは元気じゃなかったです。
(Arisu-san wa genki janakatta desu.)
Alice was not well.
Note
Some textbooks or teachers may use じゃありません or ではありません instead of じゃないです. These are also correct, and often a bit more formal.
Conclusion
When using NA-adjectives at the end of a sentence, don’t forget to add です or its variations like でした (past) or じゃないです (negative). This helps show politeness and tense. Practice these patterns and you’ll be able to describe people and things more naturally in Japanese.
