| name | adjective-entry |
| description | Requirements for creating or revising adjective entries in je-dict-1. Covers forms, conjugations, predicate vs modifier usage, and similar word distinctions. |
Adjective Entry Requirements
Reminder: Write each entry individually by hand. Do not use scripts to mass-produce entries. See entry-guidelines skill.
When creating or revising ADJECTIVE entries (both i-adjectives and na-adjectives), work from the sections below as an inventory โ not a checklist. Adjective notes typically run ~300โ800 chars and cover two or three of: forms, predicate-vs-modifier usage, similar-word distinctions, register. Conjugation for i-adjectives lives in the structured conjugation field, not in notes. Include a section only when it adds something the gloss and examples don't.
Required Sections
1. Forms Information (MEDIUM PRIORITY)
Include derived forms where natural:
FORMS:
- Adverbial: {้ |ใจใ}ใ (i-adj) / {้|ใใ}ใใซ (na-adj)
- Noun form: {้ |ใจใ}ใ (where natural)
Note: Not all adjectives have natural noun forms. Only include if commonly used.
2. Conjugation Table (I-ADJECTIVES)
I-adjective entries must include a conjugation field with all conjugated forms hard-coded in the JSON (parallel to verb conjugation tables). Use python3 build/add_adjective_conjugations.py to generate conjugation data after creating i-adjective entries.
The conjugation table includes 6 forms: Present, Past, ใฆ form, Adverbial, Conditional ใฐ, Conditional ใใ. See the verb-conjugations skill for the JSON structure (same format, different type values).
Do NOT include a CONJUGATION: section in the notes field โ that information belongs in the structured conjugation field.
Na-adjective conjugation is still shown in notes:
CONJUGATION:
- Negative: {้|ใใ}ใใงใฏใชใ
- Te-form: {้|ใใ}ใใง
- Past: {้|ใใ}ใใ ใฃใ
3. Predicate vs. Modifier Usage (MEDIUM PRIORITY)
Indicate which form is more common:
USAGE PATTERN:
- More common as: Predicate / Modifier / Equal
- Example: ใใฎ{้|ใฟใก}ใฏ{้ |ใจใ}ใ (predicate) vs. {้ |ใจใ}ใ{้|ใฟใก} (modifier)
4. Similar Words Section (MEDIUM PRIORITY)
For adjectives with semantic overlap, include distinctions:
SIMILAR WORDS:
- {ๆฅฝ|ใใ} vs. {็ฐกๅ|ใใใใ} vs. {ๆ|ใใ}ใใ
- {ๆฅฝ|ใใ}: comfortable, at ease (subjective feeling)
- {็ฐกๅ|ใใใใ}: simple, straightforward (objective complexity)
- {ๆ|ใใ}ใใ}: gentle, easy to understand (approachable)
Key adjective groups to distinguish:
- {ๅฌ|ใใ}ใใ vs. {ๆฅฝ|ใใฎ}ใใ (happiness vs. enjoyment)
- {ๆ|ใใ}ใ vs. {ๆ|ใใ}ใใใ (scared vs. terrifying)
- {ๅคงใใ|ใใใใ} vs. {ๅบ|ใฒใ}ใ (big vs. spacious)
- {ๆฐ|ใใใ}ใใ vs. {่ฅ|ใใ}ใ (new vs. young)
- {้ฃ|ใใใ}ใใ vs. {ๅคงๅค|ใใใธใ} (difficult vs. hard/serious)
5. Register Label (MEDIUM PRIORITY)
Mark as: Casual / Neutral / Formal / Emphatic
Example: ใใใ - [Register: Casual/Emphatic]
Low Priority Sections
6. Kanji Orthography Notes
When kanji vs. hiragana matters:
ORTHOGRAPHY:
- ใใใ is commonly written in hiragana; {ๅ|ใใ}ใ appears in formal writing
- {ๅฏๆ|ใใใ}ใ vs. ใใใใ - both common
Template for Notes Section
Important: Follow the formatting guidelines in the vocabulary-notes skill for proper structure.
[Adjective] is an [i-adjective/na-adjective].
FORMS:
- Adverbial: [form]
- Noun form: [form] (if natural)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- [word 1] vs. [word 2]: [distinction]
[Register notes if applicable]
[Any special usage patterns or restrictions]
I-Adjective vs. Na-Adjective Specifics
I-Adjectives
- End in ใ (but not all ใ-ending words are i-adjectives)
- Conjugate directly: {้ซ|ใใ}ใ โ {้ซ|ใใ}ใใชใ
- Connect with ใใฆ: {้ซ|ใใ}ใใฆ{ๅบ|ใฒใ}ใ
Na-Adjectives
- Require ใช before nouns: {้|ใใ}ใใช{้จๅฑ|ใธใ}
- Use ใง to connect: {้|ใใ}ใใง{ๅบ|ใฒใ}ใ
- Negative with ใงใฏใชใ/ใใใชใ
Special Cases
- {ใใใ|็ถบ้บ} - na-adjective despite ending in ใ
- {ๅซ|ใใ}ใ - na-adjective
- Note these exceptions explicitly in entries
Example Sentences
See the example-sentences skill for complete requirements including:
- Minimum counts: 5 examples per sense (basic/core) or 3 (general)
- Progressive length: Examples should get longer from first to last
- Vocabulary restrictions by tier
- Quality standards and formatting
Sense Numbers in Examples
For adjectives with multiple senses, each example must include a sense_numbers field:
"examples": [
{
"id": "00001_adj_ex1",
"japanese": "...",
"english": "...",
"sense_numbers": [1]
}
]
Adjective-specific guidelines:
- Examples demonstrating predicate vs. modifier usage typically share the same sense
- Different nuances of meaning (e.g., physical vs. emotional) may require separate senses
- Figurative or extended meanings should have their own sense numbers
- Show both predicate form (Xใฏ{adj}) and modifier form ({adj}+noun)
- Demonstrate adverbial form usage where natural
Required Tags for Adjectives
All adjective entries must include these tags in metadata.tags:
"metadata": {
"tags": {
"pos": ["adjective-i"],
"formality": "neutral",
"politeness": "plain",
"semantic": ["descriptive"]
}
}
POS tag values for adjectives:
adjective-i: ใ-adjectives (้ซใ, ๅคงใใ, ็พใใ)
adjective-na: ใช-adjectives (้ใ, ไพฟๅฉ, ใใใ)
adjective-no: ใฎ-adjectives (ๆฌๅฝใฎ, ๆฎ้ใฎ)
adjective-taru: ใใ-adjectives (ๅ ใ
ใใ, ๆ ใ
ใใ) - literary/formal
Semantic categories for adjectives:
emotion: ๅฌใใ, ๆฒใใ, ๆใ (feelings)
size: ๅคงใใ, ๅฐใใ, ้ทใ, ้ซใ (dimensions)
color: ่ตคใ, ้ใ, ็ฝใ (colors)
descriptive: Fallback for adjectives not fitting specific categories
Quality Checklist for Adjectives