JLPT N5: Adjectives List I-Adjectives & Na-Adjectives - MLC Japanese

JLPT N5 Adjectives List: I-Adjectives & Na-Adjectives

Complete JLPT N5 adjectives list: i-adjectives (ookii “big”, chiisai “small”, oishii “delicious”) and na-adjectives (kirei “pretty”, shizuka “quiet”, benri “convenient”). Essential vocabulary for describing people, places, food, and feelings in Japanese.

Japanese Adjectives Basics

Japanese adjectives are divided into two main types: i-adjectives and na-adjectives.
I-adjectives end with 〜い ...i (for example, おおきい ookii - big, ちいさい chiisai - small, あたらしい atarashii - new).
Na-adjectives work like nouns and use 〜な before a noun (for example, きれいなへや clean room, しずかなへや quiet room).

I-adjectives: おいしい oishii - delicious; tasty、たかい taklai - expensive; high、やすい yasui - cheap/inexpensivet …

Na-adjectives: きれい kirei - beautiful; pretty; clean、ゆうめい yuumei- famous、しずか shizuka- quiet、べんり benri - convenient


Some na-adjectives end with 「い (i)」 (for example, きれい kirei、ゆうめい yuumei). They are not i-adjectives. You will see them in the list below.

 

I-Adjectives & Na-Adjectives Conjugation Examples

JLPT N5 adjectives change form for tense (present/past) and polarity (positive/negative). See examples below:

JLPT N5 i-adjective conjugation: やすい (cheap) → やすくない, やすかった, やすくなかったJLPT N5 na-adjective conjugation: べんり (convenient) → べんりではありません, べんりでした, べんりではありませんでした

JLPT N5 must-know patterns - present (+/-) and past (+/-):

i-adjective:

Present + やすいです (yasui desu - cheap)

Present - やすくないです (yasukunai desu - not cheap)

Past + やすかったです (yasukatta desu - was cheap)

Past - やすくなかったです (yasukunakatta desu - wasn't cheap)

na-adjective:

Present + べんりです (benri desu - convenient)

Present - べんりではありません (benri dewa arimasen - not convenient)

Past + べんりでした (benri deshita - was convenient)

Past - べんりではありませんでした (benri dewa arimasendeshita - wasn't convenient)

Key Points:

I-adjectives: Drop い(i) → く(ku) + ない(nai) / かった(katta) / くなかった (kunakatta)

Na-adjectives: Use です(desu)/ではありません(dewaarimasen)/でした(deshita)/ではありませんでした(dewaarimasendeshita) + な(na) (before nouns)

 

Degree Words with Adjectives

JLPT N5 degree words with adjectives: totemo atsui, chotto atsui, zenzen atsukunai

Make your adjectives stronger or weaker:

- とても あついです (totemo atsui desu - very hot)

- ちょっと/すこし あついです (chotto/sukoshi atsui desu - a bit hot)

- あまり あつくないです (amari atsukunai desu - not very hot)

- ぜんぜん あつくないです (zenzen atsukunai desu - not at all hot)

 

JLPT N5 Adjectives: Complete List (I & Na-Adjectives)

Complete reference sheet with all i-adjectives and na-adjectives for JLPT N5 exam preparation. Print-ready format with kana and English meanings.

Kanji learning included (高い, 安い, 新しい…）

JLPT N5 adjectives list PDF pages 1-2: i-adjectives Level 1-2 (ookii, chiisai, takai, yasui) - free downloadJLPT N5 adjectives list PDF pages 3-4: i-adjectives Level 3-5 & na-adjectives (kirei, benri, genki) - free download

I-Adjectives

Complete JLPT N5 i-adjectives list - see PDF for kanji readings

  • i-adj. Level 1: おおきい、ちいさい、たかい、やすい、あたらしい、ふるい、いい、わるい、むずかしい、やさしい、とおい、ちかい、おいしい、まずい、いそがしい
  • i-adj. Level 2: あつい、さむい、つめたい、あたたかい、すずしい、おもしろい、つまらない、せまい、ひろい
  • i-adj. Level 3: たかい、ひくい、ながい、おもい、かるい、つよい、よわい、くらい、あかるい、あかるい、かわいい
  • i-adj. Level 4: あまい、からい、あつい、うすい、ふち、ほし、わかい
  • i-adj. Level 5: すくない、おおい、いたい、きたない、あぶない、うるさい、たのしい、ほしい

 

Na-Adjectives

Download PDF for kanji (上手, 有名...) and full list

  • na-adj. Level 1: きれい、ゆうめい、ていねい、すき、きらい、しずか、ひま、にぎやか、べんり、げんき、いろいろ
  • na-adj. Level 2: だいじょうぶ、じょうぶ、へん、らく、いや、たいせつ、じょうず、へた

Na-Adjectives that End with “i”

Important Exception: These adjectives look like i-adjectives (end in い) but are actually na-adjectives. Always use 〜な before nouns.

～い　but na-adjective

JLPT N5 Focus List 　(use 〜な before nouns)

  • きれい　kirei = beautiful; pretty; clean
  • ていねい　teinei = polite
  • ゆうめい　yuumei = famous
  • しつれい　shitsurei = impolite
  • きらい　kirai = don't like
  • とくい　tokui = be good at

Other na-adj. that end with "i":　得意(とくい）、心配(しんぱい)、曖昧(あいまい)、意外(いがい)、重大(重大)、予想外(よそうがい)、有害(ゆうがい)、透明(とうめい)、愉快(ゆかい)、安易(あんい)、やっかい、余計(よけい)、幸い(さいわい)、おっちょこちょい、冷静(れいせい)、無関係(むかんけい)…

 

Reference: 104 Adjectives List (N5-N4)

This expanded list contains 104 adjectives from JLPT N5 to N4 levels.

Use alongside the JLPT N5 complete list above for comprehensive adjective mastery

104 Japanese adjectives list (N5-N4 level) in hiragana and katakana - free PDF download

JLPT N5–N4 Video Lessons: 104 Japanese Adjectives

Video 1: Pronunciation Practice

Learn 104 Japanese Adjectives Slowly JLPT N5 N4 thumbnail

Learn 104 Japanese Adjectives Slowly — 74 i-adj + 30 na-adj (JLPT N5/N4)

Master 104 high-frequency Japanese adjectives at a slow, easy-to-follow pace, perfect for JLPT N5–N4 beginners.
​This video covers 74 i-adjectives and 30 na-adjectives with clear pronunciation and natural conjugation patterns you can repeat and shadow.Study without background music and use the free 104 adjectives PDF to review vocabulary while you watch.

Video 2: Grammar Practice

104 adjectives, present positive and negative

104 Japanese Adjectives | i-adjectives & na-adjectives (Present Positive & Negative)

Learn 104 essential Japanese adjectives with both present positive and present negative forms for JLPT N5–N4 study.
​This grammar-focused video reviews 74 i-adjectives and 30 na-adjectives, example sentences, and key rules for adjective conjugation in Japanese.Use it together with the i-adjective & na-adjective explanation and the downloadable 104 adjectives list linked on this page.

 

Next Steps: Advanced Adjective Forms

Ready for the next step? Learn adjective connective forms:

→ Adjective Connective Forms

Master noun (で), i-adjective (くて), na-adjective (で) connections

Updated Jan 2026