Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat
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しい (Emotive Adjective Ending)

しい (Emotive Adjective Ending)

しい (Emotive Adjective Ending) Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Special Adjective Ending

Essential Meaning: Indicates a non-measurable human emotion or perceptual state

Construction: 

  • い-Adjectives that end with しい
    • E.g. 悲かなしい [Sad]

Notes:

  • い-Adjectives that contain the しい ending generally describe unmeasurable and unquantifiable qualities such as human emotions.
    • E.g. 悲かなしい [Sad]
    • E.g. 楽たのしい [Fun]
  • On the other hand, い-Adjectives that do not end with しい tend to describe objectively measurable qualities that do not depend on the speaker’s judgement.
    • E.g. 赤あかい [Red]
    • E.g. 低ひくい [Low]
    • E.g. 若わかい [Young]
  • Below is a list of some common しい adjectives:
    • E.g. くやしい [Regrettable]
    • E.g. おそろしい [Scary]
    • E.g. 厳きびしい [Strict]
    • E.g. 難むずかしい [Difficult]
    • E.g. らしい [Seemingly]
    • E.g. うらやましい [Envious]
    • E.g. 恋こいしい [Dear]
    • E.g. おいしい [Delicious]
    • E.g. さびしい [Lonely]
    • E.g. うれしい [Glad]
    • E.g. 苦くるしい [Painful]
    • E.g. 惜おしい [Regrettable]
    • E.g. 親したしい [Intimate]
    • E.g. たのもしい [Dependable]
    • E.g. ねたましい [Enviable]
    • E.g. 涼すずしい [Cool]

WILD Examples:

Listen to this line from 0:48: 悲かなしい悲かなしい悲かなしい悲かなしい、嬉うれしい嬉うれしい嬉うれしい嬉うれしい [Sad Sad Sad Sad, Happy Happy Happy Happy]
This song begins with the following line: そうだ、嬉うれしいんだ、生きる喜よろこび [Yes, I’m happy! I’m glad to be alive!]

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