Size, length & amount

Stage 4Versatile adjectivesChunk 14 of 27 · items 428–432 of 484

How big or long something is and how much of it there is: the size and quantity scales, plus nagai for length and for time.

Mix-ups

ookii (big) and ooi (many) both start with oo-: hito ga ooi means 'crowded', while ookii hito is 'a big person'. Within each pair, learn the first word before adding its opposite. nagai is length and duration (kami ga nagai, nagai aida = a long time), not overall size, and it shares ookii's 'kono X, chotto ___' sentence. For a long way (distance) say tooi (far), not nagai: eki made tooi.

ookii

polite ookii desudrama rank #536

big, large, loud

大きい おおきいPlay 大きいですPlay

The size of things and people, loudness (ookii koe = a loud voice) and how big a matter is; before nouns, ookina is just as common.

casualPlay

kono kutsu, chotto ookii

These shoes are a bit big.

この靴、ちょっと大きい

politePlay

kono kutsu wa chotto ookii desu

These shoes are a little big.

この靴はちょっと大きいです

For 'a lot of', use ooi or takusan, not ookii.

Learn alongside: chiisai

chiisai

polite chiisai desudrama rank #879

small, little

小さい ちいさいPlay 小さいですPlay

The size of things, quiet voices (chiisai koe) and childhood (chiisai koro = when I was little); before nouns it is also chiisana.

casualPlay

kono kutsu, chotto chiisai

These shoes are a bit small.

この靴、ちょっと小さい

politePlay

kono kutsu wa chotto chiisai desu

These shoes are a little small.

この靴はちょっと小さいです

chiisana goes only before a noun (chiisana mise); at the end of a sentence it is always chiisai.

Learn alongside: ookiiLearn first: ookii

ooi

polite ooi desudrama rank #360

many, a lot

多い おおいPlay 多いですPlay

Says there are many or a lot of something, or that something happens often (machigai ga ooi); it works after the noun (hito ga ooi) and not normally in front of it.

casualPlay

kyou, hito ga ooi ne

There are a lot of people today.

今日、人が多いね

politePlay

kyou wa hito ga ooi desu ne

There are a lot of people today.

今日は人が多いですね

Not 'ooi hito' for 'many people'; say takusan no hito instead.

Learn alongside: sukunai

sukunai

polite sukunai desudrama rank #1076

few, not much

少ない すくないPlay 少ないですPlay

Says there are few or not much of something; the opposite of ooi, with the same after-the-noun pattern (hito ga sukunai).

casualPlay

kyou, hito ga sukunai ne

There aren't many people today.

今日、人が少ないね

politePlay

kyou wa hito ga sukunai desu ne

There aren't many people today.

今日は人が少ないですね

Not sukoshi (a little, B): sukunai describes an amount, sukoshi gives one.

Learn alongside: ooiLearn first: ooi

nagai

polite nagai desudrama rank #467

long (length or time)

長い ながいPlay 長いですPlay

Describes length (hair, lines, roads) and, just as often, duration: a long film, meeting or wait. nagai aida means 'for a long time'.

casualPlay

kono eiga, chotto nagai ne

This film's a bit long, huh.

この映画、ちょっと長いね

politePlay

kono eiga wa chotto nagai desu ne

This film is a little long, isn't it?

この映画はちょっと長いですね

nagaku natte gomen = sorry this got long (a message or a talk); the opposite is mijikai (short).