immersionlog

〜くない

isn't (い-adjective)

い-adjective − い + くない (polite: くないです / くありません)

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To make an い-adjective negative, drop the final い and add くない: 高い → 高くない, "not expensive"; 面白い → 面白くない, "not interesting".

Politely, add です (高くないです) or use the ません form (高くありません). Both are accepted here; くないです is the more common in conversation.

The trap is reaching for じゃない, which belongs to nouns and な-adjectives: 高いじゃない is wrong.

いい, "good", is the one exception: its forms are built on an older word, よい. So "not good" is よくない, never いくない.

Examples

  • この店みせはあまり高たかくない。

    This shop isn't very expensive.

  • 今日きょうは寒さむくないです。

    It isn't cold today.

  • この問題もんだいは難むずかしくないよ。

    This question isn't hard.

  • 天気てんきがよくないですね。

    The weather isn't great, is it?

  • 駅えきはここから遠とおくないです。

    The station isn't far from here.

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