JLPT N5Everyday

く・に-ly: quickly, quietly, well

English turns "quiet" into "quietly" to say how something is done. Japanese changes the い of an い-adjective to く, and adds に to a な-adjective.

毎まい朝あさ、早はやく起おきます。

I get up early every morning.

ドアを静しずかに閉しめました。

I closed the door quietly.

ゆうべはよく眠ねむれました。

I slept well last night.

い-adjective

早はやい → 早はやく + verb

な-adjective

静しずか + に + verb

いい

いい → よく + verb

All three come before the verb. English usually puts "-ly" words after it.

	Before a noun	Before a verb
い-adjective	早はやい電でん車しゃ, an early train	早はやく起おきる, get up early
な-adjective	静しずかな部屋へや, a quiet room	静しずかに話はなす, talk quietly
いい	いい天てん気き, good weather	よく寝ねる, sleep well

How something is done

子こどもたちは校こう庭ていで元げん気きに遊あそんでいます。

The children are playing in the schoolyard, full of energy.

早はやく！バスが来くるよ。

Hurry up! The bus is coming.

By itself, 早はやく is "hurry up".

本ほん当とうにありがとうございます。

Thank you so much.

本ほん当とう (true) with に: "truly", "really".

きれい ends in い but is a な-adjective, so it takes に. There is no きれく.

字じをきれいに書かいてください。

Please write neatly.

Where English has no "-ly"

English often leaves the adjective as it is: "get up early", "cut it short", "write it big". Japanese still changes it, whether it says how you do something or how the thing ends up.

昨日きのう、髪かみを短みじかく切きりました。

I had my hair cut short yesterday.

先せん生せいは名な前まえを大おおきく書かきました。

The teacher wrote the name in large letters.

Not said: 毎まい朝あさ、早はやい起おきます。

(I get up early every morning.)

よく: well, and often

よく is the く form of いい. It is "well" in the sense of fully or properly: you sleep well, understand well, listen carefully. It is also the everyday word for "often".

マリアさんは日本にほん語ごがよくわかります。

Maria understands Japanese well.

Well.

週しゅう末まつはよく家か族ぞくで買かい物ものに行いきます。

I often go shopping with my family on weekends.

Often.

"Well" in the sense of skillfully is 上手じょうずに. よく in its place is usually heard as "often".

トムさんはよく箸はしを使つかいます。

Tom often uses chopsticks.

How often.

トムさんは上手じょうずに箸はしを使つかいます。

Tom uses chopsticks well.

How skillfully.

Slowly is ゆっくり

Not every "-ly" word comes from an adjective. "Slowly" is ゆっくり, a word of its own. 遅おそく is mostly "late".

日本にほん語ごがまだ上手じょうずではないので、ゆっくり話はなしてください。

I am not very good at Japanese yet, so please speak slowly.

明日あしたは休やすみなので、少すこし遅おそく起おきます。

Since tomorrow is a day off, I will get up a little later.

When に is something else

After a noun or a verb, に has other jobs.

にN5

After a place, a time or a person it is a particle: in, at, to.

机つくえの上うえに鍵かぎがあります。

There is a key on the desk.

〜に行いくN5

After a verb stem or an activity, it marks what you go somewhere to do.

妹いもうとは友とも達だちと映えい画がを見みに行いきました。

My younger sister went to see a movie with a friend.

Close neighbours

くなる・になるN5

With なる the same shapes mean "become".

部屋へやが明あかるくなりました。

The room became brighter.

くする・にするN5

With する they mean "make it so". 静しずかにしてください is "please be quiet".

音おとを小ちいさくしてください。

Please turn the volume down.

高たかい・高たかくないN5

い-adjectives and their other endings: "isn't", "was".

このお茶ちゃは熱あつくないです。

This tea is not hot.

静しずかだ・静しずかじゃないN5

な-adjectives, and which words ending in い are among them.

有ゆう名めいな庭にわを見みました。

I saw a famous garden.

Check yourself

1"Please cut the vegetables small."

野や菜さいを（　　）切きってください。

Choose an answer to see why.

2Which one fits?

部屋へやを（　　）掃そう除じしました。

Choose an answer to see why.

3What does this most likely mean?

父ちちはよく料りょう理りをします。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

早はやく and 速はやく

Both are read はやく. 早はやく is early or soon. 速はやく is fast.

すごく

すごく, from すごい (amazing), is an everyday "really". It goes before adjectives too.

このケーキ、すごくおいしい。

This cake is really good.

近ちかく and 遠とおく

These two are also used as nouns: 駅えきの近ちかく, the area near the station.

More sentences

彼かの女じょは字じをきれいに書かきます。

She writes neatly.

質しつ問もんには正しょう直じきに答こたえてください。

Please answer the question honestly.

今日きょうは早はやく寝ねたほうがいいです。

You should go to bed early today.

ドアが静しずかに閉しまりました。

The door closed quietly.

よくできました。

Well done.