Sweet in Japanese: amai, explained with its major conjugations

How to say “sweet” in Japanese

Japanese people would say “amai”. It is the Japanese word for ‘sweet’. Very simple. In this blot post, however, I will explain this word with its major conjugations. And also, I will explain how to use them through example sentences. Let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meaning of “amai”
  • Example #1: how to say “sweet” in Japanese
• Nai form of “amai”
  • Example #2: how to say “not sweet” in Japanese
• Ta form of “amai”
  • Example #3: how to use the past tense form of “amai”
• Te form of “amai”
  • Example #4: how to use “amai” before another adjective
• Ba form of “amai”
  • Example #5: how to use “amakereba”
• Summary

Definition and meaning of “amai”

Let me start with the definition and meaning of “amai”.

• amai – 甘い (あまい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘sweet’ in Japanese.

Basically Japanese native speakers use this adjective to express a sweet taste. Depending on the situation, however, they use it as a metaphor to express being too optimistic, leaving the final step of the work undone, or a sugary scene.

Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.

Example #1: how to say “sweet” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• kono – この : a determiner used before a noun which refers to a thing close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “tamago yaki” to say “this Japanese rolled omelette”.
• tamago yaki – 玉子焼き (たまごやき) : a noun meaning ‘Japanese rolled omelette’ in Japanese. Learn more about “tamago“.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this is used after the noun phrase, “kono tamago yaki”, to make the subject in the sentence.

This is a typical usage of “amai”. When we want to express a sweet taste in Japanese, this i-adjective would be the best choice. In this example, it works as a complement. Like other adjectives, however, it can also work as a modifier before a noun. So, we can say “kono amai tamago yaki” to mean ‘this sweet rolled omelette’. It’s worth knowing.

In the rest part of this blog post, I will explain major conjugations of “amai”. The first one is “amakunai”.

Nai form of “amai”

Below are the definition and meaning of “amakunai”.

• amakunai – 甘くない (あまくない) : the nai form of “amai”, meaning ‘not sweet’ in Japanese.

Grammatically this nai form can be broken down into the following two parts:

• amaku – 甘く (あまく) : one conjugation of “amai”. This can have the better connection with “nai”.
• nai – ない : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to deny its meaning. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this auxiliary verb is similar to that of “not”.

From these two components, we can understand that “amakunai” is literally the nai form of “amai” and means ‘not sweet’ in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.

Example #2: how to say “not sweet” in Japanese

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• ocha – お茶 (おちゃ) : a noun meaning ‘tea’ in Japanese. Especially it refers to green tea.

This is a typical usage of “amakunai”. When we want to say “not sweet” in Japanese, this nai form would be the best choice.

Ta form of “amai”

Below are the definition and meaning of “amakatta”.

• amakatta – 甘かった (あまかった) : the ta form of “amai”, working as its past tense form. So, this means ‘was sweet’ or ‘were sweet’ in Japanese.

Grammatically this ta form can be broken down into the following two parts:

• amakat – 甘かっ (あまかっ) : one conjugation of “amai”. This can have the better connection with “ta”.
• ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb or adjective to make its ta form.

From these two components, we can understand that “amakatta” is literally the ta form of “amai”. In Japanese, ta forms of verb and adjectives can work as their past tense forms. So, we can say “amakatta” to mean ‘was sweet’ or ‘were sweet’ in Japanese. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.

Example #3: how to use the past tense form of “amai”

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• ano – あの : a determiner used before a noun which refers to a thing not close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “tamago yaki” to say “that rolled omelette” in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “amakatta”. When we want to say “was sweet” in Japanese, this would be the best choice.

Te form of “amai”

Below are the definition and meaning of “amakute”.

• amakute – 甘くて (あまくて) : the te form of “amai”, meaning ‘sweet’ in Japanese.

Grammatically this te form can be broken down into the following two parts:

• amaku – 甘く (あまく) : one conjugation of “amai”. This can have the better connection with “te”.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form.

A te form of an adjective can have a better connection with another adjective or a verb. So, “amakute” is very useful when we want to use adjectives in a row. Let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.

Example #4: how to use “amai” before another adjective

Below is the new word used in the example sentence.

• oishii – 美味しい (おいしい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘delicious’ in Japanese.

This is a typical usage of “amakute”. In the example, it has the smooth connection with “oishii”. When we want to use “amai” before another adjective or a verb, its te form is useful.

Ba form of “amai”

Below are the definition and meaning of “amakereba”.

• amakereba – 甘ければ (あまければ) : the ba form of “amai”, used to make a conditional clause with the meaning of “sweet” in Japanese.

Grammatically this ba form can be broken down into the following two parts:

• amakere – 甘けれ (あまけれ) : one conjugation of “amai”. This can have the better connection with “ba”.
• ba – ば : a conjunctive particle used after a verb or adjective to make its ba form.

In Japanese, ba forms of verbs and adjectives can work as their conditional forms. So, “amakereba” can work to make a conditional clause with the meaning of ‘sweet’. Let me explain how to use it through the example sentence below.

Example #5: how to use “amakereba”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• oshie – 教え (おしえ) : one conjugation of the verb, “oshieru”, which means ‘to tell’, ‘to inform’, ‘to teach’, or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : the same as used in “amakute”. In this example, this is used after “oshie” to make its te form, “oshie te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “kudasai”.
• kudasai – ください : the command form of the verb, “kudasaru”, which means ‘to give’ in Japanese. This can also work as an auxiliary verb after a te-formed verb to add the meaning of ‘please’ to it. In this example, this works as an auxiliary verb.

This is a typical usage of “amakereba”. In this example, it works as a part of the conditional clause which means ‘if the tea is sweet’. When we want to make a conditional clause with the meaning of ‘sweet’ in Japanese, this ba form is useful.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the i-adjective, “amai”, and its major conjugations with the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• amai – 甘い (あまい) : an i-adjective meaning ‘sweet’ in Japanese. This can work as both a modifier and a complement.
• amakunai – 甘くない (あまくない) : the nai form of “amai”, meaning ‘not sweet’ in Japanese.
• amakatta – 甘かった (あまかった) : the ta form of “amai”, working as its past tense form. So, this means ‘was sweet’ or ‘were sweet’ in Japanese.
• amakute – 甘くて (あまくて) : the te form of “amai”, meaning ‘sweet’ in Japanese. This can have a smooth connection with another adjective or a verb. When we want to use adjectives in a row, this is useful.
• amakereba – 甘ければ (あまければ) : the ba form of “amai”, used to make a conditional clause with the meaning of “sweet” in Japanese.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.