Japanese grammar
What does ～み (nominalizing adjectives) mean? Japanese grammar N4
～み (nominalizing adjectives) means the ~ness (subjective feeling).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | Aい (drop い) + み |
| Romaji | ~ mi |
| Meaning | the ~ness (subjective feeling) |
Forming it
| Quantity | Only attaches to a LIMITED SET of adjectives (not as productive as さ) |
|---|---|
| i-adjective | Aい (drop い) + み — 甘い → 甘み・痛い → 痛み・楽しい → 楽しみ |
How to use it
Turns an adjective into a noun expressing a subjective FEELING or state.
- み turns an adjective into a noun expressing a SUBJECTIVE FEELING, something one senses rather than measures: 甘い → 甘み (a perceived sweetness), 痛い → 痛み (pain), 楽しい → 楽しみ (joy, anticipation).
- The core contrast with さ: さ = a measurable, objective DEGREE, expressed with numbers. み = a subjective FEELING, with an entity-like quality. Compare 甘さ (sweetness level — measurable, 「甘さを調べます」) vs 甘み (sweet taste — perceived, 「甘みがあります」). Vietnamese uses the same word for both concepts, so Vietnamese speakers constantly mix them up.
- A major usage difference: さ attaches to almost EVERY adjective, while み only attaches to a LIMITED SET of existing adjectives — it's not productive. There's no 「高み」 used for a mountain's height, no 「便利み」. So the safe rule: if you're not sure you've ever encountered that word before, use さ.
- The commonly seen み words should be memorized individually as vocabulary: 甘み・痛み・楽しみ・悲しみ・重み・深み・温かみ・弱み・強み.
Examples
このりんごは甘みが強いです。
This apple has a strong sweetness.
足の痛みがまだ消えません。
The pain in my leg still has not gone away.
来月の旅行を楽しみにしています。
I am looking forward to next month's trip.
Keep in mind
- 楽しみ is especially commonly used: 「楽しみにしています」 (I'm really looking forward to it) — a fixed phrase, worth memorizing whole.
- 重さ (weight, measurable) ≠ 重み (perceived weight/gravity, e.g. 「言葉の重み」 — the weight of one's words).
Common mistakes
-
Wrongこの山の高みは三千メートルです。
The height of this mountain is three thousand meters.
Correctこの山の高さは三千メートルです。
An objective measurement uses さ. 高み exists but has a completely different meaning (a lofty place, an abstract height), and is not used for height measured in meters.
-
Wrongこの機械は便利みがあります。
This machine has convenience.
Correctこの機械は便利さがあります。
み is NOT productive — it only attaches to a limited set of existing i-adjectives, and doesn't attach to na-adjectives. If unsure, use さ.
Exam tips
- Selection trick: with a number/unit of measure → さ. Talking about a feeling, taste, or pain → み.
- み is a CLOSED list — memorize: 甘み・痛み・楽しみ・悲しみ・重み・深み.