〜がいい / 〜が悪い

〜がいい / 〜が悪い is an adjective pattern expressing is good / is bad. Japanese adjectives conjugate for tense and negation unlike English adjectives, making them more similar to verbs. Understanding adjective patterns allows you to describe qualities, states, and degrees with precision.

This is a foundational pattern that you will use from day one of your Japanese studies.

When to Use#

• When evaluating whether something is good or bad
• When expressing preferences or judgments about quality

When NOT to Use#

• In very formal writing where a more sophisticated expression would be expected

Example Sentences#

• 気分が悪いです。 — I feel sick.
• 具合が悪いです。 — I'm not feeling well.
• 体の調子が悪いです。 — I don't feel well.

Practice#

Try reading these sentences aloud, then check the translation and vocabulary:

Common Mistakes#

1. Direct translation from English — The concept expressed by 〜がいい / 〜が悪い may not map one-to-one with its English translation. Focus on understanding the Japanese usage through example sentences rather than relying on the English gloss.