造Comparing and measuring
Making new nouns
Build new words from ones you know: adjectives into nouns with ~さ, verbs into “ways of doing” with ~方, and words into compounds.
~さ
Turn an adjective into a measure
Drop the い, or use a な adjective's stem, and add さ. いい becomes よさ.
| Adjective | Noun | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 高い | 高さ | height |
| 大きい | 大きさ | size |
| 長い | 長さ | length |
| 重い | 重さ | weight |
| 便利な | 便利さ | convenience |
In use
~さ
How deep is this river?
I was surprised by how hard Japanese is.
I want to convey the fun of it.
A warmer twist
~み for feelings and qualities
how sad something is
~さ is more analytical.
sorrow
~み is more emotional and concrete. It works only with a few adjectives.
~方
Way of doing
Take the ます stem and add 方 (かた).
how to write
書きます → 書き方
In use
~方
Please tell me how to read this kanji.
He has an interesting way of talking.
I learned how to cook.
Words that take する add の before し方.
With する verbs
の仕方, and 方法
Please teach me how to cook.
A noun + する verb takes の: 料理の仕方, not 料理し方.
Is there a cheaper method?
方法 means a method. It can't replace 方 when you mean someone's manner.
Compound words
Two words become one
The second word's first sound often gets voiced (か→が, は→ば). This doesn't usually happen with foreign words.
cherry-blossom viewing
flower + view
a nap
noon + sleep
mountain climbing
mountain + climb
an umbrella
rain + umbrella. Note the sound changes.
a long chat
long + talk
Check yourself
What kind of word is this?
With する verbs
方 or の仕方?
Please tell me how to read this kanji.
Say it yourself
Learning to cook
You're trying a new recipe. Ask your friend how to make it, and comment on how hard it seems.
Automatic feedback on your own answers is coming to Premium.