Lesson 10
Adjective Modifiers
In this last lesson we will look at the bits and pieces needed to adjust the meaning of adjectives so they convey exactly what we want. Everything here applies to both true and quasi-adjectives.
Comparatives
In sentences where an adjective is used to compare two things, use yori after the object which is used for comparison. Note how the compared object (underlined) sits between the subject and adjective of the main idea:
- Ken no inu wa Shizuka no inu yori ookii. (Ken's dog is bigger than Shizuka's dog.)
- Kyou no shiken wa kinou no yori kantan datta. (Today's exam was easier than yesterday's.)
...but how it comes before other objects which are not a part of the subject:
- Watashi wa yakisoba yori yakimeshi ga suki. (I like fried rice more than fried noodles.)
Alternately, yori can be placed after the subject in structures that follow other finalized statements:
- Shizuka no inu wa ookii desu ga, Ken no inu wa yori ookii. (Shizuka's dog is big, but Ken's dog is bigger.)
- Kyou wa atsukatta kedo, ashita wa yori atsukunaru sou desu. (Today was hot, but they say it's going to be hotter tomorrow.)
Note: Mo is sometimes added to yori — yorimo. It's completely optional and does not change the meaning of the sentence.
Another popular way to compare things is to use motto, which is roughly the equivalent of "more" in English. It is placed directly before the adjective it modifies, and could be used to replace yori in the last set of examples above:
- Shizuka no inu wa ookii desu ga, Ken no inu wa motto ookii. (Shizuka's dog is big, but Ken's dog is bigger.)
- Kyou wa atsukatta kedo, ashita wa motto atsukunaru sou desu. (Today was hot, but they say it's going to be hotter tomorrow.)
Superlatives
Mottomo or the well-known ichiban (number one) can be placed before adjectives to make them superlative. Ichiban without an adjective can be used to simply mean "the best":
- Kore wa kono mise no mottomo yasui pasokon desu. (This is the cheapest computer in this store.)
- Sore wa boku no ichiban suki na hon desu. (That's my favorite book.)
- Nakajima-san no ramen wa ichiban! (The ramen Ms. Nakajima makes is the best!)
Negative Comparatives and Superlatives
Negative comparatives and superlatives are not used that much in Japanese. In fact, there is no equivalent to the least. To convey something in a negative superlative way, just use an adjective with that meaning, or make the adjective negative, as in:
- Kore wa mottomo warui. (This is the worst.)
- Kore wa ichiban oishikunai. (This is the least delicious.)
For negative comparatives where "less" is implied, you can put hodo, which means "to the extent of," after the object of comparison. You must also make the adjective negative. Let's do this to the first two examples used in the Comparatives section above. Note how the subject and compared object change places in order to convey the same meaning:
- Shizuka no inu wa Ken no inu hodo ookikunai. (Shizuka's dog isn't as big as Ken's dog.)
- Kinou no shiken wa kyou no hodo kantan dewa nakatta. (Yesterday's exam wasn't as easy as today's.)
Two More
There are two other handy modifiers I'll mention here because they're used a lot: toku ni and amari. Toku ni means "especially" and amari means about the opposite of that. Here's how they're used:
- Kyou wa toku ni isogashikatta. (Today was especially busy.)
- Ano eiga wa amari omoshirokunai. (That movie is not really that interesting.)
- Kenji no seiseki wa toku ni warui. (Kenji's grades are particularly bad.)
- Kyou wa amari atsukunai ne. (Today's not that hot, is it. [with dropping intonation])
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