Home Learn Japanese Should I conjugate the adjective or the “desu” when describing something of the past?LLearn JapaneseShould I conjugate the adjective or the “desu” when describing something of the past?December 17, 20224 comments I’m really confused. For all I know, you could say both美味しかったです and 美味しいでしたIf both have the same meaning, then when do I use what? Tags:Japanese LanguageLearn Japanese 4 comments1 is correct2 is wrongYou useでした when you have a な adjectiveかったです when you have an いadjectiveDepends on the type of adjective it is.い adjectives conjugate.な adjectives have です conjugate.このコンピューターは安かったです。この駅は便利じゃないです。An い adjective blurs the line between verb and adjective. You could think of the meaning of 美味しい as “to be delicious.”So to say something *was* delicious, we put it in past tense with 美味しかった.美味しかったでした and 美味しかっただった are **never** correct.Now, 美味しいです is 100% correct. But anytime you see 美味しいです, the です is there *only* to make it sound more polite.You will **never** see “美味しいだ.” the copula (だ) is not needed for い adjectives. 美味しいだ is kind of like saying “is is delicious.”For な adjectives though, they do require a copula to change tense. So to say “was quiet,” you’d have to say either 静かだった or 静かでした.**い-adjective**美味しい → 美味しかった (Casual Form)美味しいです → 美味しかったです (Polite Form)**な-adjective**簡単 → 簡単だった (Casual Form)簡単です → 簡単でした (Polite Form)です is added to make the expression 丁寧 (Polite)Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment.
Depends on the type of adjective it is.い adjectives conjugate.な adjectives have です conjugate.このコンピューターは安かったです。この駅は便利じゃないです。
An い adjective blurs the line between verb and adjective. You could think of the meaning of 美味しい as “to be delicious.”So to say something *was* delicious, we put it in past tense with 美味しかった.美味しかったでした and 美味しかっただった are **never** correct.Now, 美味しいです is 100% correct. But anytime you see 美味しいです, the です is there *only* to make it sound more polite.You will **never** see “美味しいだ.” the copula (だ) is not needed for い adjectives. 美味しいだ is kind of like saying “is is delicious.”For な adjectives though, they do require a copula to change tense. So to say “was quiet,” you’d have to say either 静かだった or 静かでした.
**い-adjective**美味しい → 美味しかった (Casual Form)美味しいです → 美味しかったです (Polite Form)**な-adjective**簡単 → 簡単だった (Casual Form)簡単です → 簡単でした (Polite Form)です is added to make the expression 丁寧 (Polite)
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4 comments
1 is correct
2 is wrong
You use
でした when you have a な adjective
かったです when you have an いadjective
Depends on the type of adjective it is.
い adjectives conjugate.
な adjectives have です conjugate.
このコンピューターは安かったです。
この駅は便利じゃないです。
An い adjective blurs the line between verb and adjective. You could think of the meaning of 美味しい as “to be delicious.”
So to say something *was* delicious, we put it in past tense with 美味しかった.
美味しかったでした and 美味しかっただった are **never** correct.
Now, 美味しいです is 100% correct. But anytime you see 美味しいです, the です is there *only* to make it sound more polite.
You will **never** see “美味しいだ.” the copula (だ) is not needed for い adjectives. 美味しいだ is kind of like saying “is is delicious.”
For な adjectives though, they do require a copula to change tense. So to say “was quiet,” you’d have to say either 静かだった or 静かでした.
**い-adjective**
美味しい → 美味しかった (Casual Form)
美味しいです → 美味しかったです (Polite Form)
**な-adjective**
簡単 → 簡単だった (Casual Form)
簡単です → 簡単でした (Polite Form)
です is added to make the expression 丁寧 (Polite)