Japanese Language Lesson Notes: Adjectives and Past Tense

Japanese Vocabulary and Substantive Definitions

Identifying and defining key Japanese vocabulary terms provided during the lesson:

  • せいしょ (聖書): Bible
  • たまご: Eggs
  • おてら: Temple
  • たのしい: Fun (I-adjective)
  • ひまな: Free / Not busy (Na-adjective)
  • にぎやかな: Lively (Na-adjective)
  • きれいな: Clean / Beautiful (Na-adjective)
  • しずかな: Quiet (Na-adjective)
  • げんきな: Energetic / Healthy (Na-adjective)
  • へや: Room
  • かばん: Bag
  • ベット: Bed
  • たかい: Expensive (I-adjective)
  • やすい: Cheap (I-adjective)

Grammar: Past Tense Conjugation of I-Adjectives

I-adjectives follow specific rules when converting to the past tense, depending on whether the statement is affirmative or negative.

Affirmative Past Tense (I-Adjectives)

To conjugate an I-adjective into the past tense (was [adjective]), the trailing 「い」 is removed and replaced with 「かったです」.

  • Example: たかい (Expensive)
    • Remove 「い」 → たか
    • Add 「かったです」 → たかかったです (Was expensive)
  • Example: やすい (Cheap)
    • Remove 「い」 → やす
    • Add 「かったです」 → やすかったです (Was cheap)
Negative Past Tense (I-Adjectives)

To conjugate an I-adjective into the negative past tense (was not [adjective]), the trailing 「い」 is removed and replaced with 「くなかったです」.

  • Example: たかい (Expensive)
    • Remove 「い」 → たか
    • Add 「くなかったです」 → たかくなかったです (Was not expensive)
  • Example: やすい (Cheap)
    • Remove 「い」 → やす
    • Add 「くなかったです」 → やすくなかったです (Was not cheap)
  • Example: いそがしい (Busy)
    • Negative past form: いそがしくなかったです (Isogashikunakatta/Isogashikunakatta desu - Was not busy)

Grammar: Past Tense Conjugation of Na-Adjectives

Na-adjectives function differently than I-adjectives and require their own set of rules for past tense conjugation.

Affirmative Past Tense (Na-Adjectives)

To conjugate a Na-adjective into the past tense, remove the trailing 「な」 and add 「でした」.

  • Example: げんきな (Healthy/Energetic)
    • Remove 「な」 → げんき
    • Add 「でした」 → げんきでした (Was healthy)
  • Example: きれいな (Clean/Beautiful)
    • Remove 「な」 → きれい
    • Add 「でした」 → きれいでした (Was clean)
  • Example: しずかな (Quiet)
    • Remove 「な」 → しずか
    • Add 「でした」 → しずかでした (Was quiet)
  • Example: ひまな (Not busy/Free)
    • Remove 「な」 → ひま
    • Add 「でした」 → ひまでした (Was free/not busy)
Negative Past Tense (Na-Adjectives)

To conjugate a Na-adjective into the negative past tense, remove the trailing 「な」 and add 「じゃなかったです」.

  • Example: きれいな (Clean)
    • Remove 「な」 → きれい
    • Add 「じゃなかったです」 → きれいじゃなかったです (Was not clean)
  • Example: ひまな (Free/Not busy)
    • Remove 「な」 → ひま
    • Add 「じゃなかったです」 → ひまじゃなかったです (Was not free, i.e., was busy)
  • Example: にぎやかな (Lively)
    • Past form: にぎやかでした (Was lively)
    • Negative past form: にぎやかじゃなかったです (Was not lively)

Sentence Examples and Applications

The following examples demonstrate the use of current and past tense adjectives in context:

  • Present Tense Examples:

    • Today is not busy: きょうはすごい ひまです (Note: Despite the english "not busy", 「ひま」 implies being free/having leisure).
    • The house is not clean.
    • The temple is not quiet.
    • My mother is energetic.

  • Past Tense Examples:

    • The house was clean: いえはきれいでした
    • The room was not clean: へやはきれいじゃなかったです
    • My mother was energetic: はははげんきでした
    • My father was not energetic: ちちはげんきじゃなかったです
    • The house was cheap: いえはやすかったです
    • He was busy: ひまじゃなかったです (Literal: He was not free)

Phonetics and Romanization

Lessons regarding character sounds and the romanization of specific Japanese words:

  • Adjective Fragments:
    • あたらし (Atarashi)
    • desu / des
    • shikunakatta / shkunakatta
  • Vowel and Consonant sounds:
    • bba, be, bo, bu, bi
    • Notes on "L or V" sounds in phonetic contexts.
  • Romanization of Bag: Ka ba n

Transactional Record: Financial Data

Record of a debit Mastercard transaction details dated July 27, 2026:

  • Total Amount: 99.2599.25
  • Card Number: x5534
  • Date: July 27, 2026
  • Merchant: IDEMCLUB8002827138
  • Merchant Address: 1309 COFFEEN AVENUE, SHERIDAN WY
  • Financial Institution: WestStar Credit Union
  • Account Type: REGULAR CHECKING
  • Transaction Type: WITHDRAWAL DEBIT CARD DEBIT MASTERCARD

Questions & Discussion

Dialogue and interaction summary between Paul and Hiroki Y.:

  • Paul: Discussed phonetic spellings including "shikunakatta", "shkunakatta", and "Isogashkunakatta". Proposed phonetic sounds including "bba, be, bo, bu, bi" and clarified sounds relative to "L or V".
  • Hiroki Y.: Provided vocabulary for "bag" (かばん) and "bed" (ベット). Hiroki also complimented the student on their progress within the Preply platform.