Transitive (na-)Adjectives

From Akita Wiki

I know what you are thinking: adjectives can't be transitive. But in Japanese, they can be and are. In my opinion Japanese adjectives are kind of like the hand from the Adam's Family (snap, snap). They have been cut out of the normal grammar of the language and have developed the ability survive on their own. Transitive verbs are the left hand and the right hand (intransitive verbs) is scuttling around here somewhere, I'll catch it later.

There are two parts to the grammar of the disembodied left hand of Japanese adjectives.

Rule 1: <subject>は<object>が<transitive adjective>

In English, <subject>は roughly means As for <subject> In English, <object>が roughly means <object>instigate(s)

For example, 好き (すき, suki, which is the Japanese adjective for "good feelings")

As for me,/ flowers instigate / good feelings.

私は/ 花が/ 好き。

Rule 2: <subject>の<transitive adjective>な<object>は, <object 2>

In English, <subject>の (no) means <subject>'s In English <transitive adjective>な (na) means <transitive adjective> concerning

For example

(As for) Harry's/ good feelings concerning/ flowers,

Harryの/好きな/花/は

See also