Japan-Studies.com Language :: Lesson 6 "na"-nominals

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Lesson 6
"na"-nominals

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Indicating colours
There are 4 different ways to indicate a colour.

Verbal adjectives

赤い	(akai)	to be red
青い	(aoi)	to be blue / to be green
白い	(shiroi)	to be white
黒い	(kuroi)	to be black
黄色い	(kiiroi)	to be yellow
茶色い	(chairoi)	to be brown

Modified adjectives
These verbal adjectives have been transformed into nouns by removing the final い (i).

赤	(aka)	red
青	(ao)	blue / green
白	(shiro)	white
黒	(kuro)	black
黄色	(kiiro)	yellow
茶色	(chairo)	brown

These modified adjectives behave as regular nouns.

白い車 (shiroi kuruma)	白の車 (shiro no kuruma)	a white car
白かったです。 (shirokatta desu.)	白でした。 (shiro deshita.)	It was white.

Sometimes there may be a difference in meaning.

青いペン (aoi pen)	A blue pen.
青のペン。 (ao no pen)	A pen with blue ink

Nouns

緑 (色)	midori (iro)	green
灰 (色)	hai (iro)	ash colour / grey
鼠 (色)	nezumi (iro)	mouse colour / grey
紫 (色)	murasaki (iro)	purple
桃 (色)	momo (iro)	peach colour
小麦 (色)	komugi (iro)	wheat colour / brown

Katakana words (nouns), lesson 7 will be entirely devoted to katakana words.

ピンク	pinku	pink
グレー	guree	grey
ブルー	buruu	blue
ブラック	burakku	black
オレンジ (色)	orenji (iro)	orange
ホワイト	howaito	white