Benkyō Mashou logoBenkyō Mashou

明るい

あかるい

bright (in reference to personality or weather); cheerful

i-adjective

Conjugation Table

Present
明るい
Negative
明るくない
Past
明るかった
Past Negative
明るくなかった
Te Form
明るくて
Adverbial
明るく
Conditional
明るければ
Presumptive
明るいでしょう

Example Sentences

あの人はいつも明るいです。
That person is always cheerful.
Ano hito wa itsumo akarui desu.
昨日は天気が明るかったです。
The weather was bright yesterday.
Kinou wa tenki ga akarukatta desu.
部屋が明るくないですね。
The room is not bright, is it?
Heya ga akarukunai desu ne.

Grammar Notes & Usage Tips

Conjugation Tip**: As an i-adjective, 明るい ends in い and follows the standard i-adjective conjugation rules, like changing to 明るくない for "not bright" and 明るかった for "was bright."
Particle Pairing**: When describing someone’s personality, pair 明るい with the particle が after the subject, like in 彼女は明るいです (She is cheerful/bright).
Common Mistake**: Don’t confuse 明るい with あける, which means "to open." They sound similar, but 明るい describes brightness or cheerfulness, not actions.
Usage Context**: 明るい can describe both physical brightness and a person’s disposition, so it's versatile—just be sure the context makes it clear whether you mean someone is cheerful or the room is well-lit!
い-adjective: Conjugates by changing the い ending

Related Adjectives