Two questions

SkaKid0911 · 25 Jul 2004

Hey guys. I have 2 questions I was hoping someone could answer. The first is about adjective conjugation. Not to fit in with the sentence, like making it the adj. negative and stuff, but I mean -ier, -iest, etc. In particular, the adj. easier (易い). The next is how to conjugate desu with -keba (If you don't understand, I'm making a 'cause, effect/if, then' sentence. The conjugation I mean is like aruku, to walk, changes to arukeba.). The sentence I am trying to make is:
If it is easier, please write in Japanese.
So far I have: もし、易い-ier でけば（？）、日本語に書きます。
Please make any corrections and stuff. Thanks.

PaulTB · 25 Jul 2004

SkaKid0911 said:
but I mean -ier, -iest, etc. In particular, the adj. easier (易い).

やすい, 超やすい, 超スーパーやすい
No seriously there is no -ier, -iest, etc. in Japanese. 超 can sometimes be used, but in general you get by with ＿＿より＿＿のほうが＿＿
or maybe いちばんやすい.

SkaKid0911 said:
The sentence I am trying to make is:
If it is easier, please write in Japanese.

Well I wouldn't start from there.

SkaKid0911 · 25 Jul 2004

Thanks. I didn't know adjectives didn't have forms like that. What do you mean by "Well I wouldn't start from there"?

NANGI · 25 Jul 2004

Konnichiwa SkaKid0911-san!

The next is how to conjugate desu with -keba (If you don't understand, I'm making a 'cause, effect/if, then' sentence. The conjugation I mean is like aruku, to walk, changes to arukeba.). The sentence I am trying to make is:
If it is easier, please write in Japanese.
So far I have: もし、易い-ier でけば（？）、日本語に書きます。
Please make any corrections and stuff. Thanks.

Japanese "-desu" means common sentence.
This problem is easy.
この問題は易しい。

And "-keba" means conditional clause.
This problem is easier than that.
この問題はあの問題より易しい。

Don't mix "-desu" and "-keba" as like "-dekeba".
If it is easier, please write in Japanese.
もしより易しければ、日本語で書いてください。

NANGI

SkaKid0911 · 25 Jul 2004

Thank you very much, Nangi-san!
What does ければ mean? Thank you.

Keiichi · 25 Jul 2004

ければ is the ば-form (if) for adjectives ending with i.
If easy: 易しければ
If good: よければ
If hard: 難しければ

SkaKid0911 · 25 Jul 2004

Ahhh. So rather than conjugating the 'is' in "if it is easier", you have to conjugate the easier. Thank you!

PaulTB · 25 Jul 2004

SkaKid0911 said:
What do you mean by "Well I wouldn't start from there"?

I mean I wouldn't start from "If it is easier, please write in Japanese." (I'm assuming this is to somebody Japanese). I'd start from "If you want to, feel free to write in Japanese." or something.

Belgarath · 25 Jul 2004

SkaKid0911 said:
The next is how to conjugate desu with -keba

Well, "desu" is an abbrevation of "de arimasu", so you could say "de areba". I'm sure there is more to add to this, but I'll just leave it like this

Keiichi · 25 Jul 2004

I don't think anyone using "de aru" these days where "desu" is suppose to be, and it's an old form, but I'm not sure.

PaulTB · 25 Jul 2004

Keiichi said:
I don't think anyone using "de aru" these days where "desu" is suppose to be, and it's an old form, but I'm not sure.

It is used - but mostly in written works and in narration.

SkaKid0911 · 25 Jul 2004

Thank you very much everyone!

Glenn · 27 Jul 2004

A couple of notes:

1) Japanese adjectives act more like verbs than they do adjectives in English. So in plain form the sentence "this is easy" would just be これは易しい.

2) The である copula is mostly used in writing nowadays, but it has its place in speech as well. It is used in relative clauses: あいつは俺が世界一だってことは知らんようだな, and when making the ば conditional: 新人であれば、きっと自己紹介してくださいね。

Mike Cash · 27 Jul 2004

Keiichi said:
I don't think anyone using "de aru" these days where "desu" is suppose to be, and it's an old form, but I'm not sure.

Read almost any Japanese book.

Two questions

SkaKid0911

先輩

PaulTB

Manga Psychic

SkaKid0911

先輩

NANGI

先輩

SkaKid0911

先輩

Keiichi

Hi

SkaKid0911

先輩

PaulTB

Manga Psychic

Belgarath

後輩

Keiichi

Hi

PaulTB

Manga Psychic

SkaKid0911

先輩

Glenn

一切皆苦

Mike Cash

骨も命も皆此の土地に埋めよう

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