Verbs

To modify a noun with a verb we need to use the standard form of the verb before the noun which we want to modify.

The same logic applies to the auxiliary verb. In the above sentences the subject is assumed to be the speaker because we do not have enough information to know otherwise.

For the affirmative auxiliary verb we need a third form of the auxiliary verb which will be introduced later.

Adjectives

Similar to English, to modify a noun with an adjective in Japanese we simply place the adjective before the noun.

I-Adjectives

I-adjectives are simple. All we need do is place them before the noun we want to modify.

We can only modify the noun with the standard form of the adjective. In Japanese, whether the sentence is standard or polite is determined by the form of the final verb.

What about negative sentences? Well, we can either modify the adjective or modify the auxiliary verb which give rise to the same meaning but using slightly different logic—as is the case in English.

A similar logic applies to past and past negative sentences; however, here it is almost always more natural to modify the auxiliary verb.

Na-Adjectives

I-adjectives are so called because they end with い. Na-adjectives, on the other hand, do not end with な. This is a syllable we need to add to the adjective when modifying nouns.

【na-adjective】＋　な　＋【noun】

Note also that the auxiliary verb is omitted. In other words, the following is incorrect:

What if we want to form negative, past, or past negative tense expressions? Here we include the auxiliary verb and exclude the な syllable.

But, as before, modifying the auxiliary verb is far more natural in the vast majority of cases.