Describing Physical Attributes
Saying "Yuki's eyes are big" in Japanese works differently from English. Instead of making the body part the topic, you make the person the topic. This pattern uses the は and が particles together — see our lesson on adjectives for the basics:
ゆきさんは目が大きいです。 (Yuki has big eyes.)
Not: ゆきさんの目は大きいです。
The Pattern
[person/thing] は [body part/feature] が [adjective]
The topic (は) is the person. The specific feature (が) is what's being described.
Useful Vocabulary
| Body Part | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 目 | め | eyes |
| 髪 | かみ | hair |
| 背 | せ | height |
| 鼻 | はな | nose |
| 手 | て | hands |
| 足 | あし | legs, feet |
This pattern also works for objects, not just people.
Example Sentences
弟は髪が長いです。
My younger brother has long hair.
田中さんは背が高くて足が速い。
Tanaka is tall and fast.
このコートは袖が短い。
This coat's sleeves are short.
うちの犬は耳が大きい。
Our dog has big ears.
あの家は屋根が赤くて壁が白い。
That house's roof is red and its walls are white.