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Base na-adjective form. Used with 『な』 (na) to modify nouns, e.g., 『急な坂』 (kyuu na saka, 'steep slope').
Theme

While hiking in the mountains near Kyoto, User and their friend Yumi comment on the trail's difficulty.

きゅう

steep

Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives

Memory Hook

Imagine a steep hill that makes you 'hurry' (急 kyuu sounds like 'queue') up it — it's so steep you have to rush! 'Queue' → 急 (kyuu, 'steep').

Cultural Note

In Japan, 『急な坂』 (kyuu na saka, 'steep slope') is common in mountainous areas like Kyoto or hiking trails. It's often used in warnings or descriptions of terrain.

Forms

Base: 急Base na-adjective form. Used with 『な』 (na) to modify nouns, e.g., 『急な坂』 (kyuu na saka, 'steep slope').
Negative: 急じゃないAdd 『じゃない』 (janai, 'not') after the base form → 『急じゃない』 (kyuu janai, 'not steep').
Past: 急だったAdd 『だった』 (datta, past) after the base form → 『急だった』 (kyuu datta, 'was steep').
Adverbial: 急にAdd 『に』 (ni) to the base form → 『急に』 (kyuu ni). Can mean 'steeply' or 'suddenly' depending on context.
Comparative: より急Comparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective → 『より急』 (yori kyuu, 'steeper').
Superlative: 一番急Superlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + base adjective → 『一番急』 (ichiban kyuu, 'the steepest').