Ki o sukete

Japanese adjectives are divided into two: i-adjectives and the na-adjectives. It is very important to know how to change these adjectives into the past tense and better still, negative past tense.

For i-adjectives

Past:

e.g. chisai (small) = chisakatta (was small)
takai (expensive) = takakatta (was expensive)
semai (narrow) = semakatta (was narrow)

Now, to make it negative past:

e.g. isogashii (busy) = isogashikunakatta (was not busy)
chikai (near) = chikakunakatta (was not near)
sabishii (lonely) = sabishikunakatta (was not lonely)

For na-adjectives

Past:

e.g. nigiyaka (lively) = nigiyaka deshita (was lively)
yuumei (famous) = yuumei deshita (was famous)
shizuka (quiet) = shizuka deshita (was quiet)

Past negative:

e.g. juyoo (important) = juyoo dewa arimasen deshita (was not important)
genki (well) = genki dewa arimasen deshita (was not well)
hima (free) = hima dewa arimasen deshita (was not free)


I have a feeling for the colloquial na-adjective past negative, we can simplify it further and not use these long sentences. I think we can truncate it by using the simple negative, and then change it to past. Thus, for genki, we can say genki dewa nakatta. Or for shizuka, shizuka dewa nakatta. I hope somebody can verify this for me.

Ganbatte ne!