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In _A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar_ , I have (at least tried to) read
the grammatical terms and list of abbreviations very carefully, but maybe
something is missing. Or maybe I missed something.

At some point in the dictionary, it defines a certain usage of grammar as
follows:

> {Adj ( _na_ ) stem / N} {∅ / だった} みたいだ

The dictionary defines the Vmas as the “ます stem” which is the “話し in 話します”,
and then subsequently defines the Vstem as the “食べ in 食べる”.

Whilst there is no definition for an **Adj ( _na_ ) stem** (or adjective stems
of any kind), would I be correct to assume the word “stem” means **“disregard
the な suffix”**?

And furthermore, if I were to find “Adj ( _i_ ) stem”, it would mean to
“truncate the い suffix”?
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2020-11-16T07:31:53.137
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2020-11-17T06:07:58.000
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adjectives i-adjectives terminology na-adjectives
What does “stem” mean in “Adj (na) stem”
You are correct. The "stem" of a word is the part that remains the same when
you conjugate it or otherwise combine it with other words.

So for verbs, the ます-stem is what's left when you remove the ます from the ます
form (which for ichidan verbs is the same as removing the る from the plain
form, but that doesn't extend to godan or irregular verbs). So, for example,
食べ(ます), 行き(ます), or 会い(ます).

い-adjectives behave like verbs, in that the stem is the part without the い.
So, for example, 高(い), 黒(い) or 早(い).

The "stem" of a な-adjective or noun is just the word itself, and in the case
of な-adjectives this means you don't include the な - 好き, 人, きれい or 町.
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2020-11-17T06:07:58.000
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