i-adectives: negation – kunai-form

Japanese i-adjectives also allow to express a negative meaning. It is close to adding un- to an English adjective (easy = un-easy, not easy). In order to build this form you first remove the い – I at the end of the plain form and  add くない – KUNAI to the stem of the i-adjective as described in the following examples:

  • 高い => 高- => 高 + くない => 高くない
  • takai => taka- => taka + kunai => takakunai
Plain Form Romaji Meaning Negation Romaji Meaning
高い takai high 高くない takakunai not high
安い yasui cheap 安くない yasukunai not cheap
美味しい oishii tasty 美味しくない oishikunai not tasty
広い hiroi spacious 広くない hirokunai not spacious
寂しい sabishii lonely 寂しくない sabishikunai not lonely

Example

Kanji 隣りのスーパーはあまり高くないです。
Furigana となりのスーパーはあまりたかくないです。
Romaji tonari no suupaa wa amari takakunai desu.
English The supermarket in the neighborhood is not very expensive.

Related articles:

Kanji Card – 市

市

5E02 - 市

Meaning city, market
Onyomi SHI
Kunyomi ichi
Strokes 5 (click on the pick to start the video)

Vocabulary

Kanji Furigana Romaji Meaning JLPT
市場 いちば ichiba town market 4
市場 しじょう shijou market (abstract) –

Radicals

Radical Pic
Radical Name
Meaning


Vocabulary Card – 休み – yasumi

Furigana: やすみ

Romaji: yasumi

Meaning: vacation, break

Level: JLPT N5

Word Type: noun


Writing

Kanji Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT
休 to rest KYUU yasu(mu) 5
み hiragana mi 5

Examples

Kanji 週末は休みです。
Furigana しゅうまつはやすみです。
Romaji shuumatsu wa yasumi desu.
English The weekend is free.

Vocabulary

Synonym

Kanji Furigana
Romaji Meaning JLPT
–

Opposite

Kanji Furigana
Romaji Meaning JLPT
–

Related words

Kanji Furigana
Romaji Meaning JLPT
休む やすむ yasumu to take a rest 5
 休日 きゅうじつ kyuujitsu holiday, day off 4
 休憩  きゅうけい kyuukei rest, break 4

Vocabulary Card – 広い – hiroi

furigana: ひろい
romaji: hiroi
Meaning: wide, spacious
Level: JLPT N5


Writing

Kanji Meaning Onyomi Kunyomi JLPT
広 wide, spacious KOU hiro(i) 5
い hiragana i 5

Grammar: i-adjective

Form Kanji Furigana
Romaji JLPT
plain form 広い ひろい hiroi 5
past 広かった ひろかった hirokatta –
negation 広くない ひろくない hirokunai –
past negation 広くなかった ひろくなかった hirokunakatta –
sa form 広さ ひろさ hirosa –
sou form 広そう ひろそう hirosou –

Examples

Kanji 日本語の教室は広いです。
Furigana にほんごのきょうしつはひろいです。
Romaji nihongo no kyoushitsu wa hiroi desu.
English The classroom for Japanese is spacious.

Vocabulary

Synonym

Kanji Furigana
Romaji Meaning JLPT
–

Opposite

Kanji Furigana
Romaji Meaning JLPT
狭い せまい semai narrow –

Related words

Kanji Furigana
Romaji Meaning JLPT
–
–

Kanji Card – 止

止

6B62 - 止

Meaning to stop
Onyomi SHI
Kunyomi to(maru), to(meru)
Strokes 4 (click on the pick to start the video)

Vocabulary

Kanji Furigana Romaji Meaning JLPT
止まる とまる tomaru to stop, to halt 5
止める とめる tomeru to stop something –
中止 ちゅうし chuushi suspension, stoppage –

Radicals

Radical Pic
Radical Name
Meaning