mai kyau

A Common Descriptive Phrase

Level 2

Use noun + mai kyau, or plural noun + masu kyau.

How It Works

A noun followed by mai kyau describes a singular item as good, nice or attractive. Masculine and feminine singular heads both use mai. Plural reference uses masu kyau. The number change affects mai; it does not add a feminine or plural adjective ending to kyau.

Kyau is a quality noun. The phrase follows the general construction associating a head with a quality through mai or masu. Its English meaning depends on the item and situation: the description may concern appearance or broader goodness.

A descriptive noun phrase can stand as a fragment without making a complete statement. Compare jaka mai kyau, a beautiful bag, with Jaka tana da kyau., The bag is beautiful. The latter attributes the quality through an agreeing subject form followed by da. Keep this distinction between modifying an item and making a clause about its quality.

Examples (3)

  1. gida mai kyau

    a nice house

    Noun phrase with a masculine singular head.

  2. hula mai kyau

    a beautiful cap

    Noun phrase with a feminine singular head; mai remains unchanged.

  3. motoci masu kyau

    nice cars

    Noun phrase with plural reference and masu.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

mai kyauLevel 2A Common Descriptive Phrase

Learn This First

Recognize mai/masu noun descriptions and the agreeing da-quality predicate before contrasting a beautiful bag with a statement that the bag has beauty.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

kyaumài kyâumài kyâu