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Module 6.3 – I have a headache

In Lesson 3, we learned that for the English verbs “like,” “dislike” and “want,” we use the pattern “[person] は [target of desire] が [adjective] です”

We use a similar pattern to describe our body parts or our skills.

In general, は is a topic marker and が is a subject marker, so “xxx は yyy が xxx です” literally means “Talking about xxx, yyy is zzz.”

わたし は おなか が いたい です (おなか = stomach, いたい = painful) therefore means “As for me, my stomach is painful,” i.e. “I have a stomachache.”

How to use this pattern.

  • [person] は [body part] が いたい です。= [person] has sore/painful [body part]
  • [person] は [body part] が かゆい です。= [person] has itchy [body part]
  • [person] は [body part] が [noun/adjective] です。= [person] has [adjective] [body part].
  • [person] は [activity] が じょうず です。= [person] is good at [activity].
  • [person] は [activity] が へた です。= [person] is bad at [activity].

Words for Body Parts (they are all nouns)

あしashifoot, feet, leg(s)
あたまatamahead
おなかonakastomach
かおkao(a person’s) face
かみkamihair (as the whole)
からだkaradabody
くちkuchimouth, orifice, opening
こえkoevoice
せい/せsei/seheight, stature
tehand
hatooth
はなhananose
みみmimiear
meeye, eyeball

Words for Colours

いろironouncolour
あおaonounblue
あかakanounred
きいろkiironounyellow
くろkuronounblack
しろshironounwhite
ちゃいろchaironounbrown
みどりmidorinoungreen
あおいaoiいadjblue
あかいakaiいadjred
きいろいkiiroiいadjyellow
くろいkuroiいadjblack
しろいshiroiいadjwhite

Adjectives for Status/Condition

いい/よいii/yoiいadjgood
いたいitaiいadjpainful, sore
かゆいkayuiいadjitchy
たかいtakaiいadjtall, high
ながいnagaiいadjlong
ひくいhikuiいadjshort, low
まるいmaruiいadjround, circular
みじかいmijikaiいadjshort (opposite of long)
わるいwaruiいadjbad, inferior
じょうずjouzuなadjskilful, good
へたhetaなadjunskilful, poor

Examples

  1. わたし かぜを ひきました。あたま いたい です。
    Watashi wa kaze wo hikimashita. atama ga itai desu.
    I’ve caught a cold. I have a headache.
  2. (わたし )* おなか いたい です。
    (watashi wa)* onaka ga itai desu.
    I have tummy-ache.
  3. (わたし )* め かゆい です。
    (watashi wa)* me ga kayui desu.
    I have itchy eyes.
  4. あに  め  みどり です。
    ani wa me ga midori desu.
    My older brother has green eyes.
  5. あね  せ  たかい です。
    ane wa se ga takai desu.
    My older sister is tall (<- My older sister has high stature.)
  6. はは  こえ  ちいさい です。
    haha wa koe ga chiisai desu.
    My mother has small voice. => My mother talks softly.
  7. あに かみ ながい です。
    ani wa gami ga nagai desu.
    My older brother has long hair.
  8. あねこえ きれい です。
    ane wa koe ga kirei desu.
    My older sister has beautiful voice.
  9. あに スキー じょうず です。(Japanese people tend not to use this structure for yourself. Also, you don’t use じょうず for somebody else’s professional skills.)
    ani wa suki- ga jouzu desu.
    My older brother is good as skiing.
  10. (わたし)* え へた です。
    (watashi wa) * e ga heta desu.
    I’m not good at drawing.

    * ( ) part is often skipped.

Suggested Activities

  • Describe your and somebody else’s physical features.
  • Describe your and somebody else’s strong and weak points.
Course: JLPT N5