The 10 most useful Japanese Adjectives for Beginners

Learning Japanese can feel overwhelming at first, but knowing a few essential japanese adjectives can help you start expressing yourself right away. These basic words will allow you to describe things, talk about how you feel, and understand common expressions.

Want to hear the pronunciation? Click here to download the audio files with native speaker recordings for each word.

10 Japanese Adjectives

1. おいしい (oishii) — Delicious

Use this word when talking about food or drinks. Example: これはおいしいです [kore wa oishii desu] This is delicious

2. あつい (atsui) — Hot

Can refer to weather or objects. Example: きょうはあついですね [kyô wa atsui desune] It’s hot today, isn’t it?

3. さむい (samui) — Cold (weather)

Example: けさはさむいですね [kesa wa samui desune] It’s cold this morning, right?

4. はやい (hayai) — Fast / Early

Example: あのおとこのこははやいです [ano otoko wa hayai desu] That boy is fast

5. おそい (osoi) — Slow / Late

Example: でんしゃはおそいですね [densha wa osoi desune] The train is late

6. たかい (takai) — Expensive / Tall

Example: このコートはたかいです [kono kôto wa takai desu] This coat is expensive

7. いそがしい (isogashii) — Busy

Example: あしたはいそがしいです [ashita wa isogashii desu] I’ll be busy tomorrow.

8. かんたん (kantan) — Easy

Example: このテストはかんたんでした [kono tesuto wa kantan deshita] This test was easy

9. むずかしい (muzukashii) — Difficult

Example: にほんごはむずかしいですね [nihongo wa muzukashii desune] Japanese is difficult, isn’t it?

10. たのしい (tanoshii) — Fun / Enjoyable

Example: にちようびはたのしいです [nichiyôbi wa tanoshii desu] Sundays are fun

How to practice

1. Download the file and listen daily (click here)
2. Write each adjective in hiragana.
3. Practice saying one sentence with each adjective every day.

Ready to learn More?

Start your Japanese journey with my free beginner ebook packed with essential vocabulary, phrases, and cultural insights.

Download it instantly via the popup on japanwithmaya.com