Conjugating "i" Adjectives

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"i" Adjectives and How They Conjugate

Notes:

"i" adjectives, not to be confused with "na" adjectives, can be conjugated like verbs. The rule is, ALWAYS, drop the final "i" (many end in a double "i" -- you do not drop both, but just the last "i") and modify the adjective according to how you want to conjugate it. In general, "ku" is the bridge except for the past, when is becomes "katta." The "ku" by itself generally converts the adjective into an adverb, as in "hayai" (fast, early) becoming "hayaku," meaning "quickly," but many adjectives cannot become adverbs ("bigly"??). Nevertheless, the "ku" suffix becomes the "bridge" to making the continual -- "hayakute" means "is fast, and ~" and also makes the bridge for the negative "kunai" as in "hayakunai" (is not quick) and negative past, "kunakatta" as in "hayakunakatta," or "was not quick."

To make a simple past, "ku" is not used, but "katta" is substituted: "hayakatta" meaning "was quick." This is highly regular and there are no exceptions.

Adjective Meaning "ku" Form

大きい ookii big ookiku

小さい chiisai small chiisaku

少ない sukunai few sukunaku

寒い samui cold samuku

厚い atsui hot atsuku

遠い tōi far tōku

近い chikai nearby chikaku

新しい atarashii new atarashiku

古い furui old furuku

長い nagai long nagaku

短い mijikai short mijijkaku

恐ろしい osoroshii horrific osoroshiku

楽しい tanoshii fun tanoshiku

うるさい urusai noisy, annoying urusaku

難しい muzukashii difficult muzukashiku

かわいい kawaii cute kawaiku

醜い minikui ugly minuku

面白い omoshiroi interesting omoshiroku

しょうもない shōmonai boring shōmonaku

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 - ku => -kunai - isn't 寒くない is not cold

 - ku => -katta - was 寒かった was cold

 - ku => -kunakatta - wasn't 寒くなかった wasn't cold

 - ku => -kute - is ~ and ~ 寒くて is cold, and