Skip to main content
All Japanese activities

Activities: What are some ways to describe Japanese nouns without using traditional adjectives?

By: Mayumi Ito

Exercise 1: Noun-modifying expressions

Let’s practice using various types of noun-modifying expressions! For each case below, complete each sentence that describes the images using the expressions given in the word bank. You may need to add a particle or change the shape of the word as you see fit (see the example). You can use each word only once.

Example:

今日、きれいな虹を見た。
Transcription: Kyō, kireina niji o mita.
Translation: I saw a beautiful rainbow today.
a rainbow

Your turn!

  1. チワワは 犬です。
    Chiwawa wa ... inu desu.
    Chihuahuas are small dogs.

    Chihuahua dog

  2. 公園に花が咲いている。
    Kōen ni ... hana ga saite iru.
    Purple-colored flowers are in bloom in the park.

    Purple crocus flowers

  3. 妹はぬいぐるみを大事にしている。
    Imōto wa ... nuigurumi o daiji ni shiteiru.
    My younger sister cherishes her worn-out stuffed toy.

    an old teddy bear on a bench

  4. 冬は湖でスケートをします。
    Furyu wa ... mizu’umi de sukēo o shimasu.
    We skate on the frozen lake.

    ice skaters on a lake in a small town

  5. 3番目の子豚は家に住んでいました。
    Sanbanme no kobuta wa ... ie ni sundeimashita.
    The third little pig lived in a brick house.

    a small brick house

Exercise 2: Fix the Errors!

Each of the following sentences has one error. Find and correct the error by rewriting the sentence in the box below.
  1. その空き地には壊れました自転車がたくさん捨てられていた。
    Transcription: Sono akichi ni wa kowaremashita jitensha ga takusan suterareteita.
    Translation: Many broken bicycles had been abandoned in the empty lot.

  2. シロナガスクジラは動物の中で一番大きなだ。
    Transcription: Shironagasu kujira wa dōbutsu no naka de ichiban ōkina da.
    Translation: Blue whales are the biggest among animals.

  3. 今日は病気な友達のお見舞いに行った。
    Transcription: Kyō wa byōkina tomodachi no omimai ni itta.
    Translation: Today I went to see a sick friend of mine.

  4. どうして破れてジーンズが１万円もするんだろう。
    Transcription: Dōshite yaburete jiinzu ga ichiman en mo suru ndarō.
    Translation: Why does a pair of torn jeans cost ten thousand yen, I wonder?

  5. 朝ごはんはふわふわにパンケーキが食べたい。
    Transcription: Asagohan wa fuwafuwani pankēki ga tabetai.
    Translation: For breakfast, I want to eat fluffy pancakes.