Wednesday, October 2, 2019

grammar - いろいろな便利な - In some case, two na-adjectives linked not using で?


With my japanese teacher, we study some text about doraemon.


One of sentences was:


「未来{みらい}のいろいろな便利{べんり}な「ひみつ道具{どうぐ}」をポケットの中に持っている」


I was thinking いろいろな便利{べんり}な had to be いろいろで便利{べんり}な. My teacher said she don't know why, so I asking you :D



Answer




Yes, two ordinary na-adjectives are connected with で:




  • きれいで清潔な部屋 (×きれいな清潔な部屋)

  • 親切で元気な人 (×親切な元気な人)



Nevertheless, I feel 色々な便利な道具 is far more natural than 色々で便利な道具. 便利で色々な道具 is okay but I feel this is still slightly odd.


I could not find an article which clearly explains why. But 色々 is unlike normal na-adjectives in some ways:




  • It works as an adverb without に. 「いろいろ勉強した。」「いろいろ教えてください。」 It even takes と.

  • Its attributive usage (i.e, modifying a following noun) is common, but its predicative usage is relatively uncommon and literary. We say 本棚に色々な本がある but 本棚にある本は色々だ sounds stiff. (If I understand correctly the English adjective various is not used predicatively, either. "×The books are various." I don't know if it's a coincidence.)

  • It has a lexicialized 連体詞 version, namely 色んな, which is frozen and never conjugates. (×色んだ is incorrect)


So perhaps you can think this 色々 is a special case where 色々な is always used even when coupled with another adjective.


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