i-adjective + na-adjective + noun


How do I use an i-adjective and na-adjective together to describe a noun? For
example, how do I say "beautiful, red torii"?

> 綺麗な鳥居 (na-adjective): beautiful torii  
>  赤い鳥居 (i-adjective): red torii




I think you have the following options:

>   1. 綺麗な赤い鳥居  
>  a beautiful [red _torii_ ]  
>  a [beautiful, red] _torii_
>
>   2. 赤い綺麗な鳥居  
>  a red [beautiful _torii_ ] (a little strange)  
>  a [red, beautiful] _torii_
>
>   3. 赤くて綺麗な鳥居  
>  a red and therefore beautiful _torii_
>
>   4. 綺麗で赤い鳥居  
>  a [beautiful, red] _torii_  
>  ~~a beautiful and therefore red _torii_~~
>
>

The combination of "red" and "beautiful" is a bit biased, because something
can be beautiful _because_ it is red, but not be red because it is beautiful
(which would have to be 綺麗で赤い). This plays into the translation, so 綺麗で赤い
could only sensibly mean that 綺麗 and 赤い are thought of as separate qualities.

Of course, 赤い is also special in that one can also say

>   5. 赤で綺麗な鳥居
>

which I think would usually be taken as equivalent to (3), but could also mean
(2).




I think you have the following options:

>   1. 綺麗な赤い鳥居  
>  a beautiful [red _torii_ ]  
>  a [beautiful, red] _torii_
>
>   2. 赤い綺麗な鳥居  
>  a red [beautiful _torii_ ] (a little strange)  
>  a [red, beautiful] _torii_
>
>   3. 赤くて綺麗な鳥居  
>  a red and therefore beautiful _torii_
>
>   4. 綺麗で赤い鳥居  
>  a [beautiful, red] _torii_  
>  ~~a beautiful and therefore red _torii_~~
>
>

The combination of "red" and "beautiful" is a bit biased, because something
can be beautiful _because_ it is red, but not be red because it is beautiful
(which would have to be 綺麗で赤い). This plays into the translation, so 綺麗で赤い
could only sensibly mean that 綺麗 and 赤い are thought of as separate qualities.

Of course, 赤い is also special in that one can also say

>   5. 赤で綺麗な鳥居
>

which I think would usually be taken as equivalent to (3), but could also mean
(2).

