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Vocabulary 15 min read

100 Most Common Japanese Adjectives: Master Essential Descriptions

Learn the 100 most frequently used Japanese adjectives with examples, pronunciation, and usage tips. Perfect for JLPT N5 to N3 levels.

Editorial Team
October 28, 2024
100 Most Common Japanese Adjectives: Master Essential Descriptions

Learning adjectives is crucial for describing the world around you in Japanese. This comprehensive list covers the 100 most frequently used Japanese adjectives, organized by type and common categories.

Table of Contents

  1. I-Adjectives (い形容詞)
  2. Na-Adjectives (な形容詞)
  3. Usage Tips

I-Adjectives

Physical Qualities and Appearance

  1. 大きい (おおきい) / ōkii - big, large
  2. 小さい (ちいさい) / chiisai - small
  3. 高い (たかい) / takai - tall, expensive
  4. 低い (ひくい) / hikui - low, short (height)
  5. 重い (おもい) / omoi - heavy
  6. 軽い (かるい) / karui - light (weight)
  7. 暑い (あつい) / atsui - hot (weather)
  8. 寒い (さむい) / samui - cold (weather)
  9. 熱い (あつい) / atsui - hot (touch)
  10. 冷たい (つめたい) / tsumetai - cold (touch)
  11. 暖かい (あたたかい) / atatakai - warm
  12. 涼しい (すずしい) / suzushii - cool
  13. 明るい (あかるい) / akarui - bright
  14. 暗い (くらい) / kurai - dark

Emotions and Feelings

  1. 嬉しい (うれしい) / ureshii - happy
  2. 楽しい (たのしい) / tanoshii - fun
  3. 悲しい (かなしい) / kanashii - sad
  4. 寂しい (さびしい) / sabishii - lonely
  5. 怖い (こわい) / kowai - scary
  6. 恥ずかしい (はずかしい) / hazukashii - embarrassing
  7. 苦しい (くるしい) / kurushii - painful
  8. 眠い (ねむい) / nemui - sleepy
  9. 痛い (いたい) / itai - painful
  10. 辛い (つらい) / tsurai - difficult, painful

Time and State

  1. 新しい (あたらしい) / atarashii - new
  2. 古い (ふるい) / furui - old (things)
  3. 若い (わかい) / wakai - young
  4. 早い (はやい) / hayai - early, fast
  5. 遅い (おそい) / osoi - late, slow
  6. 速い (はやい) / hayai - quick
  7. 長い (ながい) / nagai - long
  8. 短い (みじかい) / mijikai - short (length)

Taste and Food

  1. 甘い (あまい) / amai - sweet
  2. 辛い (からい) / karai - spicy
  3. 苦い (にがい) / nigai - bitter
  4. 酸っぱい (すっぱい) / suppai - sour
  5. 美味しい (おいしい) / oishii - delicious
  6. まずい (まずい) / mazui - bad-tasting

Quality and Value

  1. いい／良い (よい) / yoi - good
  2. 悪い (わるい) / warui - bad
  3. 強い (つよい) / tsuyoi - strong
  4. 弱い (よわい) / yowai - weak
  5. 難しい (むずかしい) / muzukashii - difficult
  6. 易しい (やさしい) / yasashii - easy
  7. 忙しい (いそがしい) / isogashii - busy
  8. 安い (やすい) / yasui - cheap
  9. 少ない (すくない) / sukunai - few
  10. 多い (おおい) / ooi - many

Na-Adjectives

Character and Personality

  1. 親切 (しんせつ) / shinsetsu - kind
  2. 不親切 (ふしんせつ) / fushinsetsu - unkind
  3. 元気 (げんき) / genki - energetic, healthy
  4. まじめ / majime - serious, earnest
  5. 優秀 (ゆうしゅう) / yūshū - excellent
  6. 誠実 (せいじつ) / seijitsu - sincere
  7. 陽気 (ようき) / yōki - cheerful
  8. 活発 (かっぱつ) / kappatsu - active
  9. 温和 (おんわ) / onwa - gentle
  10. 大胆 (だいたん) / daitan - bold

State and Condition

  1. 簡単 (かんたん) / kantan - simple
  2. 複雑 (ふくざつ) / fukuzatsu - complicated
  3. 便利 (べんり) / benri - convenient
  4. 不便 (ふべん) / fuben - inconvenient
  5. 安全 (あんぜん) / anzen - safe
  6. 危険 (きけん) / kiken - dangerous
  7. 完璧 (かんぺき) / kanpeki - perfect
  8. 健康 (けんこう) / kenkō - healthy
  9. 特別 (とくべつ) / tokubetsu - special
  10. 普通 (ふつう) / futsū - normal

Appearance and Atmosphere

  1. きれい / kirei - pretty, clean
  2. 素敵 (すてき) / suteki - wonderful
  3. 華やか (はなやか) / hanayaka - gorgeous
  4. 地味 (じみ) / jimi - plain
  5. 派手 (はで) / hade - flashy
  6. 静か (しずか) / shizuka - quiet
  7. 賑やか (にぎやか) / nigiyaka - lively
  8. 曖昧 (あいまい) / aimai - vague
  9. 鮮やか (あざやか) / azayaka - vivid
  10. 優雅 (ゆうが) / yūga - elegant

Quality and Value

  1. 有名 (ゆうめい) / yūmei - famous
  2. 重要 (じゅうよう) / jūyō - important
  3. 貴重 (きちょう) / kichō - valuable
  4. 確実 (かくじつ) / kakujitsu - certain
  5. 正確 (せいかく) / seikaku - accurate
  6. 曖昧 (あいまい) / aimai - ambiguous
  7. 必要 (ひつよう) / hitsuyō - necessary
  8. 不必要 (ふひつよう) / fuhitsuyō - unnecessary
  9. 自由 (じゆう) / jiyū - free
  10. 満足 (まんぞく) / manzoku - satisfied

Mental and Emotional States

  1. 心配 (しんぱい) / shinpai - worried
  2. 不安 (ふあん) / fuan - uneasy
  3. 安心 (あんしん) / anshin - relieved
  4. 幸せ (しあわせ) / shiawase - happy
  5. 退屈 (たいくつ) / taikutsu - boring
  6. 愉快 (ゆかい) / yukai - pleasant
  7. 残念 (ざんねん) / zannen - regrettable
  8. 素晴らしい (すばらしい) / subarashii - wonderful
  9. 大切 (たいせつ) / taisetsu - important
  10. 真面目 (まじめ) / majime - serious

Usage Tips

  1. I-Adjectives

    • End in い (with few exceptions)
    • Change form directly for past tense and negatives
    • Example: 高い (takai) → 高くない (takakunai) → 高かった (takakatta)

  2. Na-Adjectives

    • Require な when modifying nouns
    • Use です for present tense, でした for past tense
    • Example: 静か (shizuka) → 静かな部屋 (shizuka na heya) → 静かです (shizuka desu)

Remember:

  • Practice both positive and negative forms
  • Learn common collocations (which nouns they typically modify)
  • Pay attention to context and formality levels
  • Some adjectives can have multiple meanings depending on context

Note: This article is part of our comprehensive Japanese learning series. Check out our other articles on verbs, grammar, and more.