Using i-adjective color words


Why is the sentence 「車はあかです。」 not 「車はあかいです。」? Since 「あかい」 is an i-adjective.




The primary colors in Japanese are all i-adjectives, which agrees with the
idea that i-adjectives tend to represent more basic concepts than na-
adjectives.

[code]

    あかい          akai      red
    あおい          aoi       blue
    きいろい        kiiroi    yellow
    しろい          shiroi    white
    くろい          kuroi     black
    
[/code]

Some examples:

[code]

    あかいくるま    a red car
    くろいペン      a black pen
    
[/code]

When you want to say that something is some color, you must use the no-
adjective (a noun) equivalent of the word.

[code]

    あか            aka     red
    あお            ao      blue
    きいろ          kiiro   yellow
    しろ            shiro   white
    くろ            kuro    black
    
[/code]

Example:

[code]

    ボールはしろです。      The ball is white.
    
[/code]

Other color words are normal no-adjectives, so these five are really the
exception rather than the rule. Fortunately, the rule itself is without
exception: when using primary colors to modify a noun, use the i-adjective
form; otherwise, use the no-adjective form.

You would also use aka to refer to "the color red", which is similar to how
color words in English are used as both nouns and adjectives.

And finally, the noun forms are also used in some compound words like :

[code]

    あかワイン      red wine
    くろねこ        a black cat
    
[/code]

I hope it could help.




The primary colors in Japanese are all i-adjectives, which agrees with the
idea that i-adjectives tend to represent more basic concepts than na-
adjectives.

[code]

    あかい          akai      red
    あおい          aoi       blue
    きいろい        kiiroi    yellow
    しろい          shiroi    white
    くろい          kuroi     black
    
[/code]

Some examples:

[code]

    あかいくるま    a red car
    くろいペン      a black pen
    
[/code]

When you want to say that something is some color, you must use the no-
adjective (a noun) equivalent of the word.

[code]

    あか            aka     red
    あお            ao      blue
    きいろ          kiiro   yellow
    しろ            shiro   white
    くろ            kuro    black
    
[/code]

Example:

[code]

    ボールはしろです。      The ball is white.
    
[/code]

Other color words are normal no-adjectives, so these five are really the
exception rather than the rule. Fortunately, the rule itself is without
exception: when using primary colors to modify a noun, use the i-adjective
form; otherwise, use the no-adjective form.

You would also use aka to refer to "the color red", which is similar to how
color words in English are used as both nouns and adjectives.

And finally, the noun forms are also used in some compound words like :

[code]

    あかワイン      red wine
    くろねこ        a black cat
    
[/code]

I hope it could help.

