About This Lesson
Use Basic Evaluation, Size, and Difficulty to practice Japanese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.
Dialogue
A
これはとてもいいです。
koh-REH wah toh-TEH-moh EE dehss This is very good.
B
それはよくないです。
soh-REH wah yoh-koo-NAI dehss That is not good.
A
これは大きすぎます。
koh-REH wah oh-kee-soo-GEE-mahss This is too big.
B
これは小さすぎます。
koh-REH wah chee-sah-soo-GEE-mahss This is too small.
A
それはとても簡単です。
soh-REH wah toh-TEH-moh kahn-TAHN dehss It is very easy.
B
それはとても難しいです。
soh-REH wah toh-TEH-moh moo-zoo-KAH-shee dehss It is very difficult.Word by Word
これ
これ means “this” and refers to the thing being discussed in これはとてもいいです and これは大きすぎます. It appears before は because the thing is introduced as the topic. Use これ when referring to something identified as “this” in the conversation.
は
は marks the topic in これはとてもいいです, これは大きすぎます, and それはよくないです. It shows what the sentence is about, while the evaluation follows it. A reliable reuse pattern is a topic followed by は and then an evaluation.
とても
とても means “very” and increases the degree of the description. In とてもいいです and とても簡単です, it strengthens いい and 簡単. Use とても before an evaluation or description when you want to express a high degree.
いい
いい means “good” and gives a positive evaluation in とてもいいです. In this dialogue, とても makes the evaluation stronger, and です makes the statement polite. Use いい when positively evaluating something.
です
です is the polite sentence ending in いいです, よくないです, 簡単です, and 難しいです. It comes after the evaluation and makes the statement polite. Use it when giving a polite evaluation or description.
それ
それ means “that” or “it” and refers to the thing or situation being evaluated in それはよくないです and それはとても簡単です. It appears before は as the topic. Use それ when referring to something already identified as “that” or “it” in the conversation.
よくない
よくない means “not good” and gives a negative evaluation in それはよくないです. It describes the topic as unacceptable or not good, with です making the statement polite. Use it when politely saying that something is not good.
大きすぎます
大きすぎます means “too big” in これは大きすぎます, so the size is beyond what is suitable. The form combines 大きい, “big,” with すぎます, which adds the idea of being excessive, and the result is polite. Use this expression when something is larger than appropriate for the situation.
小さすぎます
小さすぎます means “too small” in これは小さすぎます, so the size is below what is suitable. The form combines 小さい, “small,” with すぎます, which adds the idea of being excessive in degree, and the result is polite. Use this expression when something is smaller than appropriate for the situation.
簡単
簡単 means “easy” in 簡単です and gives a positive evaluation of difficulty. It appears before です in the polite statement それはとても簡単です. Use it when saying that something is easy.
難しい
難しい means “difficult” in 難しいです and gives a negative evaluation of difficulty. It appears before です in the polite statement それはとても難しいです. Use it when saying that something is difficult.
Grammar Points
～すぎます
これは大きすぎます。
koh-REH wah oh-kee-soo-GEE-mahssThis is too big.
Attach すぎます to an adjective to say that something is excessively or too much.
とても + adjective
これはとてもいいです。
koh-REH wah toh-TEH-moh EE dehssThis is very good.
とても comes before an adjective to strengthen its meaning, like “very” in English.
Japanese Vocabulary
いい
adj
EE
good
いいです
これはとてもいいです。
これ
pron
koh-REH
this (thing)
これはとてもいいです。
それ
pron
soh-REH
that; it
それはよくないです。
とても
adv
toh-TEH-moh
very
これはとてもいいです。
よくない
adj
yoh-koo-NAI
not good
よくないです
それはよくないです。
簡単
adj
kahn-TAHN
easy
簡単です
それはとても簡単です。
小さすぎます
adj
chee-sah-soo-GEE-mahss
too small
これは小さすぎます。
大きすぎます
adj
oh-kee-soo-GEE-mahss
too big
これは大きすぎます。
難しい
adj
moo-zoo-KAH-shee
difficult
難しいです
それはとても難しいです。
Quiz
Spelling
Tap the letters to spell the word.
too small
Show Answer
小さすぎますtoo big
Show Answer
大きすぎますgood
Show Answer
いいですnot good