Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
A suffix that attaches to a noun to create a な-adjective, meaning “related to,” “characteristic of,” “-al,” “-ic,” or “-like.” It converts a concept into a descriptor.
🎯 Primary Function
To convert a noun into a versatile descriptive modifier (な-adjective) or an adverb (when followed by に).
📋 Grammar Structure
Noun + 的 + だ / です (Sentence end) / Noun + 的 + に + Verb/Adjective
N/A (It forms な-adjectives, not い-adjectives)
Noun + 的 + な + Noun
Noun + 的 + ではない / じゃない
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Very common and preferred, especially in academic, business, and political speech. (e.g., 政治的 – political)
Informal Situations
Used frequently, especially with common terms like 個人的 (personal) or 基本的 (basic).
Written Language
Extremely common in newspapers, research papers, and formal documents.
Spoken Language
Widely used in everyday conversation to sound precise or analytical.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Characteristics or Nature
Used to describe something that possesses the nature or quality of the preceding noun. Most common with Sino-Japanese compound words.
Example: 科学的 (kagaku-teki – scientific)
Indicating Relation or Scope
Used to specify the relationship or scope of an item, often clarifying if something is subjective, objective, social, etc.
Example: 個人的 (kojin-teki – personal)
Forming Adverbs (的に)
By adding に, the word functions as an adverb, modifying a verb, describing the manner in which an action is performed.
Example: 効率的に (kōritsu-teki ni – efficiently)
Frequency
Extremely High. It is one of the most productive suffixes in modern Japanese, especially in formal and abstract contexts.
Difficulty
Intermediate (JLPT N3/N2)
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
これは**専門的**な知識が必要です。
Furigana: これは**せんもんてき**な ちしきが ひつようです。
Romaji: Kore wa **senmon-teki** na chishiki ga hitsuyō desu.
English: This requires specialized knowledge.
Example #2
彼の意見はとても**客観的**だ。
Furigana: かれの いけんは とても**きゃっかんてき**だ。
Romaji: Kare no iken wa totemo **kyakkan-teki** da.
English: His opinion is very objective.
Example #3
私にとって、それは**個人的**な問題です。
Furigana: わたしにとって、それは**こじんてき**な もんだいです。
Romaji: Watashi ni totte, sore wa **kojin-teki** na mondai desu.
English: For me, that is a personal problem.
Example #4
その事故は**歴史的**な出来事として記録された。
Furigana: その じこは **れきしてき**な できごととして きろくされた。
Romaji: Sono jiko wa **rekishi-teki** na dekigoto toshite kiroku sareta.
English: That accident was recorded as a historical event.
Example #5
彼女はいつも**感情的**になりやすい。
Furigana: かのじょは いつも**かんじょうてき**に なりやすい。
Romaji: Kanojo wa itsumo **kanjō-teki** ni nariyasui.
English: She tends to get emotional easily.
Example #6
このやり方は**効率的**に仕事を終えられる。
Furigana: この やりかたは **こうりつてき**に しごとを おわらせられる。
Romaji: Kono yarikata wa **kōritsu-teki** ni shigoto o owaraserareru.
English: We can finish the work efficiently with this method.
Example #7
私たちは**物理的**な距離を保つ必要がある。
Furigana: わたしたちは **ぶつりてき**な きょりを たもつ ひつようがある。
Romaji: Watashitachi wa **butsuri-teki** na kyori o tamotsu hitsuyō ga aru.
English: We need to maintain physical distance.
Example #8
それは**日本的**な考え方かもしれません。
Furigana: それは **にほんてき**な かんがえかた かもしれません。
Romaji: Sore wa **Nihon-teki** na kangaekata kamoshiremasen.
English: That might be a characteristic Japanese way of thinking.
Example #9
もっと**具体的**な例を挙げてください。
Furigana: もっと **ぐたいてき**な れいを あげてください。
Romaji: Motto **gutai-teki** na rei o agete kudasai.
English: Please provide more concrete examples.
Example #10
彼の行動は少し**機械的**すぎた。
Furigana: かれの こうどうは すこし **きかいてき**すぎた。
Romaji: Kare no kōdō wa sukoshi **kikai-teki** sugita.
English: His behavior was a little too mechanical.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
The Adverbial Form (的に)
When modifying a verb or an adjective, 的 must be followed by に, making it an adverb. This is the second most common usage after 的な.
Example: 客観的に判断する (kyakkan-teki ni handan suru)
Function as a な-Adjective
的 transforms a noun (教育 – education) into a descriptive adjective (educational). This is its core function.
Example: 教育的な指導 (kyōiku-teki na shidō – educational guidance)
Restriction to Sino-Japanese Nouns
的 is overwhelmingly used with compound nouns (especially those of Chinese origin or specialized terms). Avoid attaching it to simple native nouns.
Example: 抽象的 (chūshō-teki – abstract), 物理的 (butsuri-teki – physical)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 歴史的出来事 (rekishi-teki dekigoto)
✅ 歴史的な出来事 (rekishi-teki na dekigoto)
Since 的 forms a な-adjective, the particle な is mandatory when modifying a noun. Forgetting な is a very common mistake.
❌ 綺麗的 (kirei-teki)
✅ 綺麗 (kirei) or きれいな (kirei na)
的 should generally not be attached to native Japanese words or simple adjectives that already exist (like 綺麗, which is already a な-adjective). It primarily attaches to kanji compounds.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral to Formal. Using terms with 的 often suggests a more analytical or sophisticated tone.
Social Situations: Appropriate for nearly all social situations, ranging from casual debate to formal presentation.
Regional Variations: Standard across all regions of Japan, though certain words combined with 的 may be more or less common regionally.
🔍 Subtle Differences
個人的 (kojin-teki) vs. 個人らしい (kojin-rashii)
個人的 means “relating to the individual” (a descriptive fact). 個人らしい means “typical or characteristic of an individual/person” (an assessment of quality).
When to use: Use 的 for factual description or classification (e.g., 私の個人的な意見 – my personal opinion). Use らしい for subjective judgment or resemblance.
歴史的な (rekishi-teki na) vs. 歴史の (rekishi no)
歴史の shows simple possession or subject matter (e.g., 歴史の本 – a history book). 歴史的な creates a true adjective describing the *nature* of the noun (e.g., 歴史的な出来事 – a historical event).
When to use: Use 的な when the preceding noun is used to describe the nature, type, or character of the following noun. Use の for simpler relationships.
📝 Conjugation Notes
Words ending in 的 conjugate exactly like a standard な-adjective: Affirmative Present (客観的だ/です), Affirmative Past (客観的だった/でした), Negative Present (客観的ではない/じゃありません), Negative Past (客観的ではなかった/じゃありませんでした).
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The sound *teki* is always pronounced clearly and distinctly. In longer compounds, place stress on the syllable preceding 的, if applicable, but maintain a clear final /ki/.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of 的 as the Japanese equivalent of the English suffixes “-al,” “-ic,” or “-tive.” (e.g., Science -> Scientific, History -> Historical, Individuality -> Individual/Personal).
Other Grammar
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