Sunday, January 21, 2018

真 + Adjective/Noun

The prefix 真 can be used with the stem of an adjective to express that "the degree of something is very high or at the highest level." For example, 真っ赤 means bright or deep red, due to the 真 prefix affecting 赤 and taking it to the extreme.

Tobira states that 真 + a noun "indicates the center of a space or time span." However, looking at the examples they give, I don't think this is a great definition. I think it's best to think of it as an intensifier, and learn the words generally used with it individually. For example, っすぐ means straight/dead ahead. 真下 means right under or just below.

橋の上から真下にある川を見ると、とても怖い。
Seeing the river just below the top of the bridge is really scary.

私は帰ってくる間に、道で真っ赤の血を見つけたんだ。
While I was coming home, I found deep red blood on the road.

夕べ隣の人が真夜中までパーティーをしていてうるさかったので、全然寝られなかった。
Last night the neighbor was noisy and had a party going until midnight, so I couldn't sleep at all.

真夜中に起きたけど、部屋で真っ黒で怖かった。
I woke up in the middle of the night - my room was pitch black, and it was scary.

No comments:

Post a Comment