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Activities: How to use Japanese emotion adjectives?

By: Mayumi Ito
Associated Articles

These activities are part of our Japanese Grammar series. The skills we are practicing here are covered in our article:

Exercise 1: Attributes vs. emotions

Let’s start with differentiating adjectives for emotions from adjectives for attributes. Read the following short sentences and see if you can tell which group each underlined adjective belongs to. Remember, some adjectives for emotions can work as adjectives for attributes, depending on the context!

Attributes
Emotions
Emotions (senses)
Emotions (working as adj. for attributes)

  1. 私は静かな田舎で育ちました。だから都会の生活は好きじゃありません。
    Watashi wa shizukana inaka de sodachimashita. Dakara tokai no seikatsu wa suki ja arimasen.
    I grew up in a quiet countryside. So I don’t like life in big cities.
    a) Adj. for
    b) Adj. for

  2. 辛すぎる食べ物は嫌いだ けど、昨日食べたキムチラーメンはおいしかった。
    Karasugiru tabemono wa kirai da kedo, kinō tabeta kimuchi rāmen wa oishikatta.
    I dislike super spicy foods, but the kimchi ramen I ate yesterday was delicious.
    a) Adj. for
    b) Adj. for

    3. Note:
    the particle は[wa] in 辛すぎる食べ物は is not the topic marker used to mark the subject of the emotion. It’s the contrast marker は that has taken the place of the particle が[ga], which marks the object of the emotion (what the speaker does not like.

  3. 今日はいつもより長いコースを走ったから、足がだるい。
    Kyō wa itsumo yori nagai kōsu o hashitta kara, ashi ga darui.
    Since I ran a longer course today, my legs are tired.
    a) Adj. for
    b) Adj. for

  4. 新しいノートパソコンが欲しいけど、買うお金がない。
    Atarashii nōto pasokon ga hoshii kedo, kau okane ga nai.
    Since I ran a longer course today, my legs are tired.
    a) Adj. for
    b) Adj. for

  5. 友達から悲しい 話を聞いて、胸が痛くなった。
    Tomodachi kara kanashii hanashi o kiite, mune ga itaku natta.
    I heard a sad story from a friend of mine and felt a heartache.
    a) Adj. for
    b) Adj. for

    6. 悲しい[kanashii](sad; sorrowful) is used to describe the nature of the story.

Exercise 2: Add the particle

Now let’s try some review questions on the adjectives for emotions. Complete the following sentences by adding an appropriate particle in each blank.

  • 日本の食べ物では鰻重一番好きだ。
    Nihon no tabemono de wa unajū ... ichiban suki da.
    I like boxed barbecued-eel-and-rice dinner the best among Japanese foods.

  • 私背が高い姉うらやましい。
    Watashi ... se ga takai ane ... urayamashii.
    I envy my tall elder sister.

  • 今年の誕生日は何 欲しい？
    Kotoshi no tanjōbi wa nani ... hoshii?
    What do you want for this year’s birthday?

  • 今日はのど痛いので、カラオケで歌えない。
    Kyō wa nodo ... itai node, karaoke de utaenai.
    Since I have a sore throat, I can’t sing at karaoke.

  • うちの子　猫怖がる。
    Uchi no ko ... neko ... kowagaru.
    Our child is afraid of cats.

    👉Did you remember that a verb that consists of the “adj. stem + Phrase” structure takes the particle を[o]to mark the object of emotions and senses?

Exercise 3: Correct the sentence

The last exercises! Read the following sentences and find out which is correct and which is not. For the incorrect ones, try rewriting it, using one of the methods introduced in the article. If the sentence is already correct, just leave the box empty. The answer can vary, so several correct answers will be provided.

Hint:
All the possible errors are in the predicate. Don’t change the subject/topic of the sentence!

  • あの犬は耳がかゆい。

    Ano inu wa mimi ga kayui.

    That dog over there is having an itchy ear.

    Corrected version (if no corrections, leave blank):

    Sample answer #1:
    あの犬は耳がかゆいらしい。[Ano inu wa mimi ga kayui rashii.](It seems that that dog is having an itchy ear.)
    Sample answer #2:
    あの犬は耳をかゆがっている。[Ano inu wa mimi o kayugatte iru.](That dog over there is acting as if it’s having an itchy ear.)
    Sample answer #3:
    あの犬は耳がかゆいんだろう。[Ano inu wa mimi ga kayui ndarō.](That dog over there is probably having an itchy ear.)

  • 弟はお風呂が嫌いだ。

    Otōto wa ofuro ga kirai da.

    My younger brother hates baths.

    Corrected version (if no corrections, leave blank):

    No Changes!
    好きだ[sukida](sukida) and 嫌いだ[kiraida] can be used as is for the second and the third person subject as well as the first person subject.

  • ジョンさんは日本の温泉が懐かしい。

    Jon san wa nihon no onsen ga natsukashii.

    John misses Japanese hot springs.

    Corrected version (if no corrections, leave blank):

    Sample answer #1:
    ジョンさんは日本の温泉が懐かしいらしい。[Jon san wa nihon no onsen ga natsukashii rashii.](I’ve heard that John misses Japanese hot springs.)
    Sample answer #2:
    ジョンさんは日本の温泉を懐かしがっている。[Jon san wa nihon no onsen o natsukashigatte iru.](John misses Japanese hot springs.)

  • 私は高い所を怖がる。

    Watashi wa takai tokoro o kowagaru.

    I’m afraid of heights.

    lit. "high places"

    Corrected version (if no corrections, leave blank):

    Sample answer:
    私は高い所が怖い。[Watashi wa takai tokoro ga kowai.](I’m afraid of heights.)
    Did you notice?
    〜がる verb can’t take the first person subject. Did you also remember to change the particle を to が?

  • アンはダイアナに会えて嬉しかった。

    An wa daiana ni aete ureshikatta.

    Anne was happy to see Diana.

    Corrected version (if no corrections, leave blank):

    No Changes!
    We can use the past assertive form of adjectives in creative writing to express the third-person subject’s emotions.

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