N56 patterns

N5 Grammar: Adjectives & Descriptors

い-adjective and な-adjective patterns including conjugation and proficiency expressions

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Every N5 adjectives & descriptors pattern

What each pattern means, when to use it, and the mistakes that cost marks in the exam.

い-adjectiveい-adjective conjugation

い-adjectives end in い and conjugate directly. Negative: drop い → くない. Past: drop い → かった. Past negative: drop い → くなかった. They modify nouns directly without a particle.

Common mistakes

Adding な between い-adjective and noun (e.g., 大きいな instead of 大きい)
Using じゃない instead of くない for negative (e.g., 高いじゃない instead of 高くない)
Confusing past くなかった with present くない

Full い-adjective guide

な-adjectiveな-adjective conjugation

な-adjectives require な before nouns. Negative: じゃない (casual) or じゃありません (polite). Past: だった (casual) or でした (polite). Past negative: じゃなかった. They behave like nouns for conjugation.

Common mistakes

Forgetting な when modifying a noun (e.g., 静か部屋 instead of 静かな部屋)
Using くない instead of じゃない for negative (mixing with い-adjective pattern)
Confusing だった (past) with でした (polite past)

Full な-adjective guide

〜くなる / 〜になるTo become

Describes a change of state. い-adjectives: drop い → くなる (e.g., 大きくなる). な-adjectives and nouns: add になる (e.g., 元気になる, 先生になる). Past tense: なる → なった / なりました.

Common mistakes

Using になる with い-adjectives (e.g., 大きいになる instead of 大きくなる)
Using くなる with な-adjectives (e.g., 元気くなる instead of 元気になる)
Forgetting to conjugate なる for past tense when context requires it

Full 〜くなる / 〜になる guide

Verb dictionary form + のが + 下手(へた)です. Expresses that someone lacks skill at doing something. The particle の nominalizes the verb, and が marks it as the subject of 下手. Can sound blunt, so often softened with あまり or ちょっと.

Common mistakes

Using ます-form instead of dictionary form before のが (e.g., 歌いますのが instead of 歌うのが)
Mixing up 下手 (へた, unskillful) with 上手 (じょうず, skillful)
Saying 下手 directly about someone present (considered rude — ちょっと苦手 is softer)

Full 〜のが下手 guide

〜のが上手Good at doing

Verb dictionary form + のが + 上手(じょうず)です. Expresses that someone is skilled at doing something. The particle の nominalizes the verb (turns it into a noun phrase), and が marks it as the subject of 上手.

Common mistakes

Using ます-form instead of dictionary form before のが (e.g., 泳ぎますのが instead of 泳ぐのが)
Confusing 上手 (じょうず, skillful) with 上手 (うまい, good/clever)
Using のが上手 for self-praise (sounds arrogant — 得意 is preferred for oneself)

Full 〜のが上手 guide

〜のが好きLike doing

Verb dictionary form + のが + 好き(すき)です. Expresses that someone likes doing an activity. The particle の nominalizes the verb (turns it into a noun phrase), and が marks it as the subject of 好き. Can also use こと instead of の in more formal contexts.

Common mistakes

Using ます-form instead of dictionary form before のが (e.g., 読みますのが instead of 読むのが)
Using を instead of が with 好き (e.g., 読むのを好き instead of 読むのが好き)
Confusing のが好き (like doing) with が好き without の for nouns (e.g., 本が好き)

Full 〜のが好き guide

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Every N5 adjectives & descriptors pattern

What each pattern means, when to use it, and the mistakes that cost marks in the exam.

い-adjectiveい-adjective conjugation

Common mistakes

Adding な between い-adjective and noun (e.g., 大きいな instead of 大きい)
Using じゃない instead of くない for negative (e.g., 高いじゃない instead of 高くない)
Confusing past くなかった with present くない

Full い-adjective guide

な-adjectiveな-adjective conjugation

Common mistakes

Forgetting な when modifying a noun (e.g., 静か部屋 instead of 静かな部屋)
Using くない instead of じゃない for negative (mixing with い-adjective pattern)
Confusing だった (past) with でした (polite past)

Full な-adjective guide

〜くなる / 〜になるTo become

Common mistakes

Using になる with い-adjectives (e.g., 大きいになる instead of 大きくなる)
Using くなる with な-adjectives (e.g., 元気くなる instead of 元気になる)
Forgetting to conjugate なる for past tense when context requires it

Full 〜くなる / 〜になる guide

〜のが下手Bad at doing

Common mistakes

Using ます-form instead of dictionary form before のが (e.g., 歌いますのが instead of 歌うのが)
Mixing up 下手 (へた, unskillful) with 上手 (じょうず, skillful)
Saying 下手 directly about someone present (considered rude — ちょっと苦手 is softer)

Full 〜のが下手 guide

〜のが上手Good at doing

Common mistakes

Using ます-form instead of dictionary form before のが (e.g., 泳ぎますのが instead of 泳ぐのが)
Confusing 上手 (じょうず, skillful) with 上手 (うまい, good/clever)
Using のが上手 for self-praise (sounds arrogant — 得意 is preferred for oneself)

Full 〜のが上手 guide

〜のが好きLike doing

Common mistakes

Using ます-form instead of dictionary form before のが (e.g., 読みますのが instead of 読むのが)
Using を instead of が with 好き (e.g., 読むのを好き instead of 読むのが好き)
Confusing のが好き (like doing) with が好き without の for nouns (e.g., 本が好き)

Full 〜のが好き guide

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N5 Grammar: Adjectives & Descriptors

Adjectives & Descriptors

Every N5 adjectives & descriptors pattern

い-adjectiveい-adjective conjugation

な-adjectiveな-adjective conjugation

〜くなる / 〜になるTo become

〜のが下手Bad at doing

〜のが上手Good at doing

〜のが好きLike doing

Other N5 Grammar Categories

Practice N5 grammar

N5 Grammar: Adjectives & Descriptors

Adjectives & Descriptors

Every N5 adjectives & descriptors pattern

い-adjectiveい-adjective conjugation

な-adjectiveな-adjective conjugation

〜くなる / 〜になるTo become

〜のが下手Bad at doing

〜のが上手Good at doing

〜のが好きLike doing

Other N5 Grammar Categories

Practice N5 grammar