Activities: What are some ways to describe Japanese nouns without using traditional adjectives?

Your turn!

• チワワは 犬です。
  Chiwawa wa ... inu desu.
  Chihuahuas are small dogs.

  Suggested answer:
  小さな[chiisana](small)

  Note:
  Since 小さな[chiisana](small; little) is a rentaishi(adnominal adjective) and it comes before a noun ( 犬[ inu](dog)), there is no need to change it into 小さい[chiisai], though it works too.

  

• 公園に花が咲いている。
  Kōen ni ... hana ga saite iru.
  Purple-colored flowers are in bloom in the park.

  Sample answer:
  紫色の[murasaki iro no](purple-colored)

  

• 妹はぬいぐるみを大事にしている。
  Imōto wa ... nuigurumi o daiji ni shiteiru.
  My younger sister cherishes her worn-out stuffed toy.

  Sample answer:
  ぼろぼろの[boroboro no](worn-out)

  Note:
  ぼろぼろな is also acceptable since ぼろぼろ works as a na-adjective as well as an adverb.

  

• 冬は湖でスケートをします。
  Furyu wa ... mizu’umi de sukēo o shimasu.
  We skate on the frozen lake.

  Sample answer:
  凍った[ko’otta](frozen)

  

• 3番目の子豚は家に住んでいました。
  Sanbanme no kobuta wa ... ie ni sundeimashita.
  The third little pig lived in a brick house.

  Sample answer:
  れんがの[renga no](brick)

  

Each of the following sentences has one error. Find and correct the error by rewriting the sentence in the box below.

• その空き地には壊れました自転車がたくさん捨てられていた。

  Sono akichi ni wa kowaremashita jitensha ga takusan suterareteita.

  Many broken bicycles had been abandoned in the empty lot.

  Correct answer:
  その空き地には 壊れた 自転車がたくさん捨てられていた。[Sono akichi ni wa kowareta jitensha ga takusan suterareteita.]

  Note:
  Alternatively, you can say 壊れている[kowareteiru], using the -teiru form instead of the ta-form.

• シロナガスクジラは動物の中で一番大きなだ。

  Shironagasu kujira wa dōbutsu no naka de ichiban ōkina da.

  Blue whales are the biggest among animals.

  Correct answer:
  シロナガスクジラは動物の中で一番 大きい 。[Shironagasu kujira wa dōbutsu no naka de ichiban ōkii.]

  Note:
  Remember the rentaishi(adonominal adjective) doesn’t conjugate and can’t become the predicate. Since 大きな[ōkina] and 大きい[ōkii] both mean “big; large,” we can replace the underlined part with the i-adjective version.

• 今日は病気な友達のお見舞いに行った。

  Kyō wa byōkina tomodachi no omimai ni itta.

  Today I went to see a sick friend of mine.

  Correct answer:
  今日は 病気の 友達のお見舞いに行った。[Kyō wa byōki no tomodachi no omimai ni itta.]

  Note:
  病気[byōki](illness) is a noun, not a na-adjective. We need to add の to modify a noun.

• どうして破れてジーンズが１万円もするんだろう。

  Dōshite yaburete jiinzu ga ichiman en mo suru ndarō.

  Why does a pair of torn jeans cost ten thousand yen, I wonder?

  Correct answer:
  どうして 破れた ジーンズが１万円もするんだろう。[Dōshite yabureta jiinzu ga ichiman en mo suru ndarō.]

  Note:
  Alternatively, you can say 破れている[yabureteiru], using the -teiru form instead of the ta-form.

• 朝ごはんはふわふわにパンケーキが食べたい。

  Asagohan wa fuwafuwani pankēki ga tabetai.

  For breakfast, I want to eat fluffy pancakes.

  Correct answer:
  朝ごはんは ふわふわの パンケーキが食べたい。[Asagohan wa uwafuwa no pankēki ga tabetai.]

  Note:
  We use the “adverb + の + noun” to modify a noun (パンケーキ). ふわふわな[fuwafuwana] is OK too in this case.