Japanese · JLPT Band 1 (N5) · Chapter 26
ひとの せつめいDescribing people
Words for what a person is like: se, takai, kami, me, nagai, shinsetsu, kirei, yasashii, omoshiroi, yuumei. The key grammar is describing people with adjectives. An i-adjective attaches straight to the noun (nagai kami). A na-adjective needs "na" (shinsetsu na hito). English speakers drop the "na" and say "shinsetsu hito" — say "shinsetsu na hito". Kana corner: na-adjectives and long vowels.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
しんせつ ひと？ しんせつな ひと？— shinsetsu hito? shinsetsu na hito?
- Yukiマイクさん、おねえさんはどんなひとですか？Mike, what is your older sister like?
- Mikeせがたかいです。そしてしんせつひとです。She is tall. And she is a kind person. (slip: a na-adjective needs "na" before a noun → shinsetsu na hito)
- Yuki「しんせつなひと」です：な-けいようしには「な」をいれます。It is "shinsetsu na hito": put "na" with a na-adjective.
- Mikeあ、あねはしんせつなひとです。そしてかみがながいです。Ah, my sister is a kind person. And she has long hair.
Dialogue
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
この しゃしんの ひとは だれですか？— Who is this person in the photo?
- Yukiこのしゃしんのひとはだれですか？Who is this person in the photo?
- Mikeともだちのジャックです。せがたかいです。かみがみじかいです。It is my friend Jack. He is tall. He has short hair.
- Yukiしんせつなひとですか？Is he a kind person?
- Mikeはい、とてもやさしいです。そしておもしろいひとです。Yes, he is very gentle. And he is a funny person.
Vocabulary
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
- せ
nounheight (of a person)
- たかい
adjectivetall, high (i-adj)
- かみ
nounhair
- め
nouneye(s)
- ながい
adjectivelong (i-adj)
- しんせつ
adjectivekind (na-adj)
- きれい
adjectivebeautiful, clean (na-adj)
- やさしい
adjectivegentle, kind (i-adj)
- おもしろい
adjectivefunny, interesting (i-adj)
- ゆうめい
adjectivefamous (na-adj)
Grammar
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
na-adjective + noun: "shinsetsu na hito"
Explanation
To describe people, use adjectives. At the end of a sentence, just add "desu": se ga takai desu, shinsetsu desu. Before a noun, the form depends on the type of adjective. An i-adjective attaches as it is: nagai kami, ookii me. A na-adjective takes "na" in between: shinsetsu na hito, kirei na hito, yuumei na sensei. English speakers drop the "na" and say "shinsetsu hito", but the correct form is "shinsetsu na hito".
Examples
- ミラーさんは せが たかいです。Mr Miller is tall.
- かのじょは かみが ながいです。She has long hair.
- たなかさんは しんせつな ひとです。Mr Tanaka is a kind person.
- かれは ゆうめいな せんせいです。He is a famous teacher.
Kana
i
Study this section in the Bookverse app
- Spaced repetition schedules your reviews
- Practice tasks with pass tracking
- A teacher on every study screen
- Progress saved across chapters and devices — laptop and phone
- Audio playback for dialogues and words
- Speaking practice with feedback
- Search dictionaries and chat with AI, all inside the app
Sign up and start studying in the Bookverse app.
You will be asked to register first.
けいようしの ことば— Adjective Words
Read the words in hiragana:
- きれいな ひとkirei na hitoa beautiful person
- しんせつな ひとshinsetsu na hitoa kind person
- せが たかいですse ga takai desu(he) is tall
- かみが ながいですkami ga nagai desu(she) has long hair
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →