Japanese for English speakers Zoo · Lesson 5

Past negative -na ending adjectives

Past negative of な-adjectives — replace です with ではありませんでした — 元気ではありませんでした (wasn't healthy). Includes 虎 (tora, tiger) and 赤ちゃん (akachan, baby).

Conversation

  1. Muri Muri

    よかった！

    yokatta!

    Thank goodness!

  2. Muri Muri

    トラの赤ちゃんは今朝より元気ですね

    tora no akachan wa kesa yori genki desu ne

    The baby tiger is doing better than yesterday

    Tip: <tora> = tiger <akachan> = baby, newborn <genki> = healthy, in good shape

  3. Yaya Yaya

    うん、今朝はあまり

    un, kesa wa amari...

    Yes, yesterday it was not...

  4. Yaya Yaya

    元気ではありませんでしたね

    genki dewa arimasen deshita ne

    doing good at all

    Tip: Past negative of "na" adjectives: take away "desu" and replace it with "dewa arimasen deshita". "Kirai desu" = I hate it. "Kirai deha arimasen deshita" = I did not hate it

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

How do you form past negative for な-adjectives?

Replace です with ではありませんでした (or じゃありませんでした, casual): 元気 + ではありませんでした = 'wasn't healthy'.

What does よかった mean?

'Thank goodness' or 'I'm glad' — literally the past form of いい (good), often used as an interjection of relief.

What is 赤ちゃん?

'Baby' or 'newborn' — used for both human babies and baby animals: 虎の赤ちゃん = 'baby tiger'.

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.