By ProDev Teach | Updated May 2025
📘 Meaning & Usage
な-Adjectives are adjectives in Japanese that require the particle な when directly modifying a noun.
Translation: Adjectives that describe nouns (e.g., kind person, quiet place)
Form:
- Adjective + な + Noun
- Example: しずかな へや – a quiet room
💡 Example Sentences
- しずかな ところが すきです。
I like quiet places. - きれいな へやに すんでいます。
I live in a clean room. - ゆうめいな がくせいです。
He is a famous student. - べんりな どうぐを つかいます。
I use convenient tools. - ひまな ときに えいがを みます。
I watch movies when I’m free.
🧾 Common な-Adjectives List (JLPT N5)
- きれい（な） – beautiful / clean
- しずか（な） – quiet
- ゆうめい（な） – famous
- しんせつ（な） – kind
- べんり（な） – convenient
- すてき（な） – lovely, nice
- ひま（な） – free (time)
- へた（な） – bad at
- じょうず（な） – good at
- かんたん（な） – simple, easy
- いろいろ（な） – various
- たいへん（な） – hard, tough, difficult
📝 Grammar Notes
- When a な-adjective comes **before** a noun, you must use な.
- When describing something without a noun (e.g., “It is beautiful”), the な is not used. Use です.
- Some な-adjectives look like nouns (e.g., きれい), but are treated as adjectives in grammar.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blanks with correct な-adjectives
- _________な まちに すんでいます。(quiet)
- これは _________な しごとです。(hard)
- _________な ひとが すきです。(kind)
✔ Answers:
- しずか
- たいへん
- しんせつ
2. Translate into Japanese
- I like clean rooms.
- He is a famous teacher.
- She uses convenient tools.
✔ Sample Answers:
- きれいなへやがすきです。
- ゆうめいなせんせいです。
- べんりなどうぐをつかいます。
📚 Vocabulary List
- へや（部屋） – room
- ところ（所） – place
- せんせい（先生） – teacher
- どうぐ（道具） – tool
- がくせい（学生） – student
- えいが（映画） – movie
🈷 Kanji List
- 部屋（へや） – room
部: section, room | 屋: house, roof - 先生（せんせい） – teacher
先: before | 生: life, birth - 道具（どうぐ） – tools
道: road, path | 具: tool - 学生（がくせい） – student
学: study | 生: life
🔗 Related Grammar
- い-adjectives: Used to describe nouns and do not require な.
- です: Polite sentence ending used with adjectives and nouns.
- の-adjective: Not an official term, but you may hear this used casually for noun modifiers.
🧠 Summary
- Meaning: な-adjectives describe nouns
- Form: な-adjective + な + noun
- Usage: Add な when modifying nouns; omit な when used with です
- Level: JLPT N5
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I’m a software engineer based in Japan, with experience in developing web and mobile applications. I’m passionate about technology, especially in DevOps, AI, and app development using platforms like AWS, Flutter, and Node.js. My goal is to build a website that shares knowledge about the Japanese language and IT, helping everyone learn and grow more easily in the digital era.
