長い
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes physical length or duration of time.
Theme
Two friends, Ken and User, are browsing in a bookstore, discussing which novel to read next for their book club.
長い
ながい
long / lengthy
Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives
Memory Hook
Imagine a long snake stretching out. You point and say, 『長い！』 (nagai, 'long'). 'Nagai' sounds like 'nag' (to complain) — a long complaint is lengthy!
Cultural Note
In Japan, 『長い』 (nagai) is often used to describe physical length, such as long hair, rivers, or stories. It can also refer to time duration, like a long meeting.
Forms
Base: 長いBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes physical length or duration of time.
Negative: 長くないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『長くない』 (nagakunai).
Past: 長かったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『長かった』 (nagakatta).
Adverbial: 長くDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『長く』 (nagaku).
Comparative: より長いComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective.
Superlative: 一番長いSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective.