簡単 (kantan) conjugation
simple
簡単 (かんたん, kantan) is a na-adjective. Na-adjectives behave like nouns. The word itself never changes — you conjugate だ/です after it, and you need な to put it in front of a noun.
Conjugation table
| Form | Plain (casual) | Polite (~です) | When you use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dictionary / plain | 簡単だ kantanda | 簡単です kantandesu | The form you look up. Also the casual “is ~”. |
| Negative | 簡単じゃない kantanjanai | 簡単じゃないです kantanjanaidesu | “is not ~”. |
| Past | 簡単だった kantandatta | 簡単でした kantandeshita | “was ~”. |
| Past negative | 簡単じゃなかった kantanjanakatta | 簡単じゃなかったです kantanjanakattadesu | “was not ~”. |
| Te-form | 簡単で kantande | — | Links to the next clause: “~ and …”. |
| Adverb | 簡単に kantanni | — | Turns it into “~ly”, describing a verb. |
| Before a noun | 簡単な〜 kantanna〜 | — | How it attaches when it modifies a noun. |
| Conditional (~ば/なら) | 簡単なら kantannara | — | “if it is ~”. |
| Conditional (~たら) | 簡単だったら kantandattara | — | “if / when it is ~”. The everyday conditional. |
| Become (~なる) | 簡単になる kantanninaru | 簡単になります kantanninarimasu | “becomes ~” — the change-of-state form. |
| Too much (~すぎる) | 簡単すぎる kantansugiru | 簡単すぎます kantansugimasu | “too ~”. |
| Looks ~ (~そう) | 簡単そう kantansou | 簡単そうです kantansoudesu | “looks / seems ~” from appearance. |
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Why it conjugates this way
Na-adjectives behave like nouns. The word itself never changes — you conjugate だ/です after it, and you need な to put it in front of a noun.
See the full rules in the adjective conjugation guide.