Japanese JLPT Grammar Point
い-Adjective く します (i-Adjective ku shimasu)

い-Adjective く します (i-Adjective ku shimasu)

Short explanation:

Change an い-adjective into a verb; 'to make', 'to become'.

Formation:

い-Adjective (remove い) + くします

Examples:

部屋を明るくします。
Heya wo akaruku shimasu.
I will make the room brighter.
友達の気分を楽しくします。
Tomodachi no kibun wo tanoshiku shimasu.
I will make my friend's mood enjoyable.
仕事が簡単になるように効率的にやり方を早くします。
Shigoto ga kantan ni naru you ni kouritsuteki ni yarikata wo hayaku shimasu.
I will make the way of working faster and efficient to make the job easier.
食べ物を美味しくします。
Tabemono wo oishiku shimasu.
I will make the food delicious.

Long explanation:

By changing an い-adjective into a verb using く します, you can express actions or changes related to the meaning of the adjective. This structure means 'to make', 'to become', or 'to cause to be'. To form it, replace the final イ (i) in the adjective with く (ku) and add します (shimasu) to create a verb.

Detailed Grammar notes:

Processing keyword: い-Adjective く します (i-Adjective ku shimasu)

Japanese Grammar Point: い-Adjective く します (i-Adjective ku shimasu)

い-Adjective く します (i-Adjective + くします)

1. Introduction

In Japanese, the grammar pattern 〜くします is used to indicate making something change into a certain state described by an い-adjective. It translates to "make something [adjective]" or "make something become [adjective]" in English. This is a useful structure to express changes or adjustments to conditions, objects, or situations.


2. Core Grammar Explanation

Meaning

The pattern い-adjective + くします means "to make [something] [adjective]" or "to turn [something] [adjective]".

Structure

To form this pattern, you:

  1. Take an い-adjective.
  2. Change the ending 〜い to 〜く.
  3. Add します to the end.

Formation Diagram

[い-adjective] - い  +  く  +  します

Example Formation

  • 大きい (big) ➔ 大き + + します大きくします (make [something] bigger)

3. Comparative Analysis

Similar Grammar Patterns

  • な-adjective + にします: For な-adjectives, you use 〜にします instead of 〜くします.
    • 静かにします (make [something] quiet)
  • Noun + にします: You can also use 〜にします with nouns.
    • 部屋をきれいにします (make the room clean)

Key Differences

  • い-adjectives use 〜くします.
  • な-adjectives and nouns use 〜にします.

4. Examples in Context

Formal Situations

  1. 音量を小さくします。
    • Onryō o chīsaku shimasu.
    • "I will turn down the volume."
  2. 部屋を明るくしました。
    • Heya o akaruku shimashita.
    • "I made the room brighter."

Informal Conversations

  1. テレビの音を大きくして。
    • Terebi no oto o ōkiku shite.
    • "Turn up the TV volume."
  2. 髪を短くしたよ。
    • Kami o mijikaku shita yo.
    • "I cut my hair short."

Written Context

  1. 生活習慣を健康的にし、体を強くします。
    • Seikatsu shūkan o kenkō-teki ni shi, karada o tsuyoku shimasu.
    • "By making lifestyle habits healthy, (one) strengthens the body."

Spoken Context

  1. このスープ、もっと熱くしてください。
    • Kono sūpu, motto atsuku shite kudasai.
    • "Please make this soup hotter."

5. Cultural Notes

Politeness and Formality

  • Using 〜くします is polite and commonly used in both formal and informal settings.
  • Adding ください makes the request more polite: 〜くしてください.

Idiomatic Expressions

  • 早くしてください。
    • "Please hurry up."
    • Common expression urging someone to do something quickly.

6. Common Mistakes and Tips

Common Errors

  1. **Forgetting to change to :
    • Incorrect: 寒いします
    • Correct: 寒くします (make [something] cold)
  2. **Using 〜くします with な-adjectives:
    • Incorrect: 静かくします
    • Correct: 静かにします (make [something] quiet)

Learning Strategies

  • Mnemonic Device: Remember that い-adjectives end with , and when you want to "make" something that adjective, you swap with .
    • い ➔ く before します.

7. Summary and Review

Key Takeaways

  • Use い-adjective + くします to express making something become a certain state.
  • Change the 〜い at the end of the い-adjective to 〜く before adding します.
  • For な-adjectives and nouns, use 〜にします instead.

Quick Recap Quiz

  1. How do you say "make the room warm"?
    • Answer: 部屋を暖かくします。(Heya o atatakaku shimasu.)
  2. Fill in the blank: 音を_______してください。("Please make the sound quiet.")
    • Answer: 小さく (chisaku)
  3. True or False: The adjective きれい uses 〜くします when using this grammar pattern.
    • Answer: False (It uses 〜にします because きれい is a な-adjective.)

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