JLPT N5 Vocabulary – Why is “多い + noun” not correct?
Table of Contents
1. Why is “多い＋名詞” not correct?
2. 多い
3. Why can’t we say “多い + noun”?
4. 多く
5. Summary
6. Quiz
7. Similar Articles
8. Comment
Q: Why is “多い + noun” incorrect?
A: “多い” does not describe a characteristic of a person or thing itself. Instead, it expresses that the number or quantity of something is large, so it is generally used in the pattern “〇〇が多い.”
多い (JLPT N5)
[Meaning]
Expresses that the number or amount of people or things is large.
[Examples]
今日は人が多いですね。
There are a lot of people today.
夏休みは旅行する人が多いです。
A lot of people travel during summer vacation.
この店は客が多くて、いつもにぎやかです。
This restaurant has a lot of customers and is always lively.
今週は仕事が多いです。
I have a lot of work this week.
Why can’t we say “多い + noun” ?
Many い adjectives, such as “大きい” (big), “新しい” (new), and “おいしい” (delicious), can be placed directly before a noun.
[Examples]
大きい犬
a big dog
新しい車
a new car
おいしい料理
delicious food
In these examples, “大きい” directly describes a characteristic of the dog, and “新しい” directly describes a characteristic of the car.
However, “多い” is a slightly unusual adjective.
Rather than describing a person or thing itself, “多い” expresses that the number or amount of people or things is large.
For this reason, it is generally used in the pattern “〇〇が多い.”
Although “多い” is an adjective, remember that it is used a little differently from many other adjectives because it generally cannot be placed directly before a noun.
[Example]
ねこが多いです。
There are many cats.
⇒ “多い” does not describe a characteristic of the cats themselves. It means that the number of cats is large.
[Example]
今月は給料が多くて嬉しいです。
I’m happy this month because my salary is higher.
⇒ “多い” does not describe a characteristic of the salary itself. It indicates that the amount of salary is greater than usual.
多く
So, how can you say “a lot of ~” before a noun, as in “many people” or “many books”?
The commonly used patterns are “たくさんの + noun” and “多くの + noun.”
[Examples]
たくさんの人が駅へ向かっています。
A lot of people are heading to the station.
多くの人が駅へ向かっています。
Many people are heading to the station.
たくさんの学生が参加しました。
A lot of students participated.
多くの学生が参加しました。
Many students participated.
Both expressions mean that the number of people is large.
However, “たくさんの” is more commonly used in everyday conversation, while “多くの” is slightly more formal and is often used in news reports and written language.
Summary
- “多い” is an adjective that expresses that the number or amount of people or things is large.
- Unlike expressions such as “大きい犬” (a big dog) or “新しい車” (a new car), “多い + noun” is generally not used.
- To express that the number or amount of something is large, use the pattern “〇〇が多い.”
Quiz
Read the following sentence and choose the expression that fits the context from the options provided in the parentheses.
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. 多くの
多くの人がこのプロジェクトの完成を待っていました。
Many people were waiting for the completion of this project.
*“多くの” is correct because it is followed by the noun “人.”
A. 多い
渋谷は人が多いし疲れたよ。
There are so many people in Shibuya, and it was tiring.
*“多い” is correct because it is used in the pattern “人が多い” to express that the number of people is large.
A. 多くの
この歌手には多くのファンがいます。
This singer has many fans.
*“多くの” is correct because it is followed by the noun “ファン.”
A. 多い
このケーキ、とてもあまいですね。さとうが多いんじゃないですか。
This cake is very sweet. Isn’t there a lot of sugar in it?
*“多い” is correct because it is used in the pattern “砂糖が多い” to express that the amount of sugar is large.
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