Japanese negation

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Each of the 用言 (yougen) has a different way of being inflected in negation.

動詞

動詞 [doushi] (verbs) are changed like this:

In the polite -�?��?� (-masu) form of the verb the negative changes to -�?��?�ん (-masen).

-�?��?� -> -�?��?�ん (masu -> masen)

Examples:

日本�?�行�??�?��?�。 -> 日本�?�行�??�?��?�ん。

nihon ni ikimasu. -> nihon ni ikimasen.

I'll go to Japan. -> I won't go to Japan.

In the dictionary form of the verb, always ending phonetically in -u, there are two categories:

-る (-ru) verbs or vowel verbs are those which drop the -る (-ru) and add -�?��?� (-masu) directly to become polite verbs. These verbs simply drop -る (-ru) and add -�?��?� (-nai) to become negative.

-u verbs or consonant verbs are those whose final -u changes to -i before -�?��?� (-masu) is added. To negate such a verb, change the final -u to an -a and then add -�?��?� -nai.

Examples:

�?�れを食�?�る。-> �?�れを食�?��?��?�。

kore wo taberu. -> kore wo tabenai.

I'll eat this. -> I won't eat this.

日本�?�行�??。-> 日本�?�行�?��?��?�。

nihon ni iku. -> nihon ni ikanai.

I'll go to Japan. -> I won't go to Japan.

形容詞

形容詞:

�?��?��?��?� -> �?��??�?�り�?��?�ん.

furui desu -> furuku arimasen.

It is old. -> It is not old.

Plain form is similar, but �?��?� (nai) is added instead of �?�り�?��?�ん (arimasen).

�?��?� -> �?��??�?��?�.

furui -> furuku nai.

It is old. -> It is not old.

形容動詞

形容動詞:

有�??�?��?�. -> 有�??�?��?��?�り�?��?�ん.

yuumei desu. -> yuumei dewa arimasen.

It is famous. -> It is not famous.

In plain form, �?��?� (dewa) becomes �?�ゃ (ja) and �?�り�?��?�ん (arimasen) again becomes �?��?� (nai).

有�??(�?�). -> 有�??�?�ゃ�?��?�.

yuumei (da). -> yuumei ja nai.

It is famous. -> It is not famous.