That’s not a dog! That’s man’s best friend! LOL
Hang on! Can that dog move? Don’t think so! LOL
Category Archives: Obentō 02-023
How to join so-called い-adjectives and な-adjectives
How to join so-called い-adjectives:
The rebuilt Great South Gate of Seoul, which has become a symbol of a nation.
Tokyo’s new landmark: the Skytree.
daruma
How to join so-called な-adjectives:
Japanese household appliances
May I have one … , please?
Japanese house
All of the above words have internal links. Please type the word you need into the websites search engine and the page will come up.
Confusing adjectives
Easy い-adjectives
406 Places and location ところ
305 Na-adjectives usage
These are all the な adjectives we could find that you might need for your first NCEA Level 1 Examination. Mind you this is needed normally at the end of Year 11 and they cover the first six complete levels of the New Zealand Japanese Curriculum.
305 More adjectives
More about adjectives: (see also the colours page)
thinking…thinking…
Uuuhhhh… yes.
There are three types of adjectives in Japanese:
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~ い adjectives
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~ な adjectives
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~ の adjectives
To tell them apart is easy, because all adjectives that end in い are い adjectives. All adjectives that don’t end in い are not. Except for less-then-a-hand-full of them. They look on the outside like い adjectives, but they are not. The reason is the original kanji used for these adjectives. Never mind.
These are the four exceptions:
(These adjectives LOOK like い adjectives, but they are な adjectives)
These 4 adjectives are な adjectives! Have a look at the following chart. The groups are clearly separated.
This is a little commercial break.
Make a tea or something.
Have some happy thoughts.
And back to reality again:
The last question that might interest you: which are な and which are の adjectives. That question is trickier. Nouns and pronouns can be used as adjectives and then they are の adjectives.
But how do you know what is a noun used adjectivally? Feeling – you get a feeling for it. And a dictionary helps. To be realistic, as you learn words you feel straightaway whether it is a な adjective or not. In reality there is not really a problem. As you go along you learn the な adjectives. On another page we will give you a list of the most commonly used な adjectives, if that helps, with the same NCEA305 number.
Oddly enough, the only adjectives that cause hassles are a handful of の colours and they fall in this group.
みどり is the most-commonly-done-wrong の adjective.
Butsudan 仏壇 ぶつだん Family Altar
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
The butsudan, or Family Altar, is a religion space in a house where earlier generations – immediate family members who have passed away – are remembered and honoured. This is a family’s personal cultural expression and therefore varies widely from family to family. The butsudan has its origins in the Buddhist religion. Another religious space that has its origins in the Japanese Shinto religion is called ‘Kamidana‘ (see kamidana page on this website).
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
There are many different kinds of butsudan as this depends on the individual families. Often butsudan are built into a house and as several generations live in the same house, the butsudan gains antique status. In a butsudan family photos may be displayed, as may be ashes of those family members passed before, or small mementos. Of course, ashes may be more problematic, so they may also be kept at a local cemetery plot. Again this depends on the individual family. As you can see from the photos, flowers and fruits may be offered symbolically as a sign of respect and affection.
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
In a western household perhaps one does not find an altar-looking structure, but religious crosses, photos of family members passed away, flowers for those who are remembered and mementos are certainly more commonly displayed. Jewish families, Hindu families and Muslim families each have their own cultural ways of paying respect and remember those to whom they owe gratitude. This cultural expression is closely related to the family’s overall religious views and observances.
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
Sometimes western visitors have strong feelings regarding a butsudan. This is again a personal expression and should be kept to oneself. Overriding any cultural practices are the fundamental principles of personal choice and hospitality. You need not join in, but you should maintain decorum.
In western households one also finds a range of religious observances and views that are as different and diverse as one can imagine. The overriding guiding principles for both sides: do not offend by intruding or insisting.
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
仏壇 ぶつだん butsudan
Lami Japan 
