Adjective Plain Present | ～い / ～だ

Plain Present Adjectives

This is the dictionary form. You'll hear it in casual conversation, and it shows up inside grammar patterns like と思(おも)う and から. Our lesson on adjectives introduces both plain and polite forms side by side.

い-Adjectives

い-adjectives are already in plain form as-is. No だ needed:

• 高(たか)い (it's tall/expensive)
• おいしい (it's delicious)
• 面白(おもしろ)い (it's interesting)

Adding だ after an い-adjective (高(たか)いだ) is a common learner mistake. Don't do it.

な-Adjectives

な-adjectives use だ in plain form:

• 好(す)きだ (I like it)
• 静(しず)かだ (it's quiet)
• 元気(げんき)だ (I'm well)

In casual speech, だ is sometimes dropped, especially by female speakers or when the sentence ends with a softening particle like ね or よ: 好(す)きよ, 元気(げんき)？

When You'll Use Plain Form

Plain adjective forms appear in several grammar patterns:

• Before と思(おも)う: 高(たか)いと思(おも)う (I think it's expensive)
• Before から: 寒(さむ)いから (because it's cold)
• Inside relative clauses: おいしい店(みせ) (a delicious restaurant)