What are the proper usages and the meaning of くはある / くはない?


I recently learnt the contrastive usages of the は particle and I read the
[Tofogu article](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/particle-wa/#with--
adjectives) which has an interesting section which says I can use は contrast
marker with the adjectives/nouns positive and negative form. But the article
is not detailed enough for me to understand exactly what's going on. Here are
some example:

**い-adjective:**

_positive form pattern_ : く-form of い-adjective + は + ある

> **難{むずか}しくはある** けど、おもしろい。

_negative form pattern_ : く-form of い-adjective + は + ない / ありません

> **難{むずか}しくはない** けど、ただ時間{じかん}がかかる。

**な-adjective/noun:**

_negative form pattern_ : noun + では + ない / ありません

> **有名{ゆうめい}ではない** が、人気{にんき}はある。

My first questions are:

  1. **What is the positive form in the case of な-adjective/noun?** Something like that: noun + は + ある?
  2. **Can the word with くはある / くはない only be in the end of the sentence/subsentence?** So is the following sentence incorrect?:

> 可愛く **は** ない猫です。

Currently I interpret this は usage in the following way based on these
examples and the article:

The は particle (in these cases) expresses: the statement does not 100% cover
the situation/speaker's opinion because there is something else too. The
difference between positive and the negative form is the following:

  * When the positive form (くはある) has been used then we express the statement covers between 50 and 100% the situation/speaker's opinion.
  * When the negative form (くはない) has been used then we express the statement covers between 0 and 50% the situation/speaker's opinion.

So my next question:

  3. **Is my interpretation correct?**

Because I'm not sure. Here one answer under the [Why does 悪く(は)ない give a
condescending
feeling?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/57957/why-
does-%E6%82%AA%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AF%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84-give-a-condescending-
feeling) question says:

> When native speakers such as myself say 「悪く(は)ない。」, they often imply that
> the object of the discussion is **not too good**. ... English-speakers
> seemed to often say "not bad" in situations where they clearly meant to say
> "pretty good". I am not saying that this usage of 「悪く(は)ない」 never occurs in
> Japanese, but I can assure you that it is rarer in Japanese.

Which is contrary to my conclusion. Because the common interpretation
of「悪く(は)ない」is mostly (50%-100%) bad and not lessly (0%-50%) bad. So:

  4. **Is the「悪く(は)ない」 an exception when we interpret くはない? If not then what is the differences between くはある and くはない?**




>   1. What is the positive form in the case of な-adjective/noun?
>

ではある. And when do you see it used? When there's a need to foreground **a sense
of contrast**.

>
> 彼は確かに利口ではあるが、冷淡でもある。([source](https://nihongomaster.com/japanese/dictionary/word/103550/dehaaru))  
>  He is clever, **no doubt** , but he is cold, too.

> 本日台風ではありますが営業しております。([source](https://www.quora.com/What-is-deha-
> arimasu-%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AF%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99))  
>  Today there is **indeed** typhoon but our shop is still open.

Of course you can leave out the second half of the sentence while still
keeping the sense of contrast:

> 本日台風ではありますが。

* * *

>   2. Can the word with くはある / くはない only be in the end of the
> sentence/subsentence?
>

Allow me to rephrase your question for you. You are essentially asking: can は
be inserted in relative clauses? Namely, you have seen は used in predicative
phrases, and you wonder if it can be inserted in an attributive phrases,
right?

So in such a sentence, the contrastive は occurs predicatively:

> あの問題は難しくはなかった

And you are fine with it. Now you are wondering what happens in an attributive
phrase modifying a noun in a relative clause. The answer is affirmative, too.
Yes, it does occur.

> 難しくはない問題だが「直線に関する対称点」の処理ができたかどうかがカギ。([source](https://kaisoku.kawai-
> juku.ac.jp/nyushi/honshi/21/ho1-22c.pdf))  
>  It's not a difficult question, but whether the student can figure out the
> point of symmetry relative to the line is key.

You probably have read/been told that は can't be used in relative clauses. For
examples two answers ([this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/14550/30454)
and [this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43517/%E3%81%AF-
vs-%E3%81%8C-in-%E7%A7%81%E3%81%AF%E8%A8%80%E3%81%86%E3%82%88%E3%81%86%E3%81%AB%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%84%E3%81%A6%E3%81%8F%E3%81%A0%E3%81%95%E3%81%84/43519#43519))
from two of the most prolific and knowledgeable contributors both tell you not
to use は in relative clauses. But there's an exception: when it's the
**contrastive は** as opposed to the topic marking は. This is actually
explained in that Tofugu article you cite, and I'd like you to take a look at
[this part](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/particle-wa/#in-relative-
clauses):

> **は IN RELATIVE CLAUSES**
>
> Since it's also possible to use の in relative clauses, there are three
> possible ways to render a sentence like "I was accepted by the school that
> Jenny failed to get into."
>
> ジェニーの落ちた学校に私は受かった。  
>  ジェニーが落ちた学校に私は受かった。  
>  ジェニーは落ちた学校に私は受かった。
>
> However, it's worth noting that は can only be used in this way if there is
> some kind of contrast implied, like in the sentences above. It the relative
> clause is simply describing the noun, with no nuance of contrast, only の and
> が can be used:
>
> ジェニーの落ちた学校に私も落ちた。  
>  ジェニーが落ちた学校に私も落ちた。  
>  ❌ ジェニーは落ちた学校に私も落ちた。

* * *

>   3. Is my interpretation correct?
>

No, not really. There's no such difference between affirmative and negative
phrases. Again, the key is contrast. When は is used this way, the
speaker/writer is trying to show contrast.

* * *

>   4. Is the「悪く(は)ない」 an exception when we interpret くはない? If not then what
> is the differences between くはある and くはない?
>

No, I don't think so.




>   1. What is the positive form in the case of な-adjective/noun?
>

ではある. And when do you see it used? When there's a need to foreground **a sense
of contrast**.

>
> 彼は確かに利口ではあるが、冷淡でもある。([source](https://nihongomaster.com/japanese/dictionary/word/103550/dehaaru))  
>  He is clever, **no doubt** , but he is cold, too.

> 本日台風ではありますが営業しております。([source](https://www.quora.com/What-is-deha-
> arimasu-%E3%81%A7%E3%81%AF%E3%81%82%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BE%E3%81%99))  
>  Today there is **indeed** typhoon but our shop is still open.

Of course you can leave out the second half of the sentence while still
keeping the sense of contrast:

> 本日台風ではありますが。

* * *

>   2. Can the word with くはある / くはない only be in the end of the
> sentence/subsentence?
>

Allow me to rephrase your question for you. You are essentially asking: can は
be inserted in relative clauses? Namely, you have seen は used in predicative
phrases, and you wonder if it can be inserted in an attributive phrases,
right?

So in such a sentence, the contrastive は occurs predicatively:

> あの問題は難しくはなかった

And you are fine with it. Now you are wondering what happens in an attributive
phrase modifying a noun in a relative clause. The answer is affirmative, too.
Yes, it does occur.

> 難しくはない問題だが「直線に関する対称点」の処理ができたかどうかがカギ。([source](https://kaisoku.kawai-
> juku.ac.jp/nyushi/honshi/21/ho1-22c.pdf))  
>  It's not a difficult question, but whether the student can figure out the
> point of symmetry relative to the line is key.

You probably have read/been told that は can't be used in relative clauses. For
examples two answers ([this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/14550/30454)
and [this](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/43517/%E3%81%AF-
vs-%E3%81%8C-in-%E7%A7%81%E3%81%AF%E8%A8%80%E3%81%86%E3%82%88%E3%81%86%E3%81%AB%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%84%E3%81%A6%E3%81%8F%E3%81%A0%E3%81%95%E3%81%84/43519#43519))
from two of the most prolific and knowledgeable contributors both tell you not
to use は in relative clauses. But there's an exception: when it's the
**contrastive は** as opposed to the topic marking は. This is actually
explained in that Tofugu article you cite, and I'd like you to take a look at
[this part](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/particle-wa/#in-relative-
clauses):

> **は IN RELATIVE CLAUSES**
>
> Since it's also possible to use の in relative clauses, there are three
> possible ways to render a sentence like "I was accepted by the school that
> Jenny failed to get into."
>
> ジェニーの落ちた学校に私は受かった。  
>  ジェニーが落ちた学校に私は受かった。  
>  ジェニーは落ちた学校に私は受かった。
>
> However, it's worth noting that は can only be used in this way if there is
> some kind of contrast implied, like in the sentences above. It the relative
> clause is simply describing the noun, with no nuance of contrast, only の and
> が can be used:
>
> ジェニーの落ちた学校に私も落ちた。  
>  ジェニーが落ちた学校に私も落ちた。  
>  ❌ ジェニーは落ちた学校に私も落ちた。

* * *

>   3. Is my interpretation correct?
>

No, not really. There's no such difference between affirmative and negative
phrases. Again, the key is contrast. When は is used this way, the
speaker/writer is trying to show contrast.

* * *

>   4. Is the「悪く(は)ない」 an exception when we interpret くはない? If not then what
> is the differences between くはある and くはない?
>

No, I don't think so.

