～く form of i-adjectives


I thought I've mastered this but I'm getting confused again.

I thought the ~く form of i-adjectives was used when the adjective modifies the
noun, e.g.

> 新しく家を買う
>
> 難しく試験した

I think it's named "continuative form" but I'm not sure

Am I correct?. If not, please explain me the correct use.

PS. I think the examples are correct if not please correct me.




No, the i-adjectives modify the noun in the attributive form (連体形) (which
looks like the "dictionary form")

> 新しい家を買う  
>  to buy a new house

When you know more Japanese, this becomes easy to remember, because both verbs
and i-adjectives modify nouns this way

> 家を買う人  
>  a person, who buys a house  
>  "a house-buying person"

The ～く form of the i-adjective functions like an adverb, so

> 新しく家を買う

would mean something more like

> to buy a house again/anew

* * *

Accordingly, your second example should be

> 難し **い** 試験を受けた。  
>  I took a difficult test.

