Japanese for English speakers Zoo · Lesson 0

Negative -i adjective

Negate い-adjectives by replacing 〜い with 〜くない — 多い (many) → 多くない (not many). Practice with 少ない (sukunai, few) and 鳥 (tori, bird).

Conversation

  1. Muri Muri

    ここの鳥は多くないですか？

    koko no tori ha ōkunai desu ka?

    There aren't many birds here?

    Tip: <tori> = bird

  2. Yaya Yaya

    確かにちょっと少ないですね

    tashika ni chotto sukunai desu ne

    There are few of them, indeed

    Tip: <tashikani> = indeed, certainly <sukunai> = few, little ("i" adjective)

  3. Muri Muri

    でも昨日より多いですね

    demo kinō yori ōi desu ne

    But more than yesterday

    Tip: <demo> = but, yet

  4. Yaya Yaya

    そうですか？

    sō desu ka?

    Is that so?

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you negate an い-adjective?

Drop the final い and add くない: 高い → 高くない (not expensive). The polite version: 高くないです.

What's the difference between 多い and 少ない?

多い (ōi) = many / a lot. 少ない (sukunai) = few / a little. Both are い-adjectives describing quantity.

What is 確かに (tashika ni)?

'Indeed' or 'certainly' — confirms what someone else said: 確かに少ないですね = 'indeed, there are few of them'.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Japanese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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