固い
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes solidity, hardness, or firmness. Often interchangeable with 『硬い』 in meaning.
Theme
At a local bakery, User and their friend Ken are trying out some freshly baked bread and discussing its texture.
固い
かたい
solid / hard / firm
Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives
Memory Hook
Think of something 'solid' like a 'kata' (固い sounds like 'kata') that won't budge. 'Kata' → 固い (katai, 'solid').
Cultural Note
『固い』 (katai) is commonly used in everyday language to describe things that are firm or unyielding, such as food texture or a person's resolve, reflecting values of stability and strength in Japanese society.
Forms
Base: 固いBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes solidity, hardness, or firmness. Often interchangeable with 『硬い』 in meaning.
Negative: 固くないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『固くない』 (katakunai).
Past: 固かったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『固かった』 (katakatta).
Adverbial: 固くDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『固く』 (kataku).
Comparative: より固いComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective.
Superlative: 一番固いSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective.