器用 (kiyou) conjugation
skillful, handy
器用 (きよう, kiyou) 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 | 器用だ kiyouda | 器用です kiyoudesu | The form you look up. Also the casual “is ~”. |
| Negative | 器用じゃない kiyoujanai | 器用じゃないです kiyoujanaidesu | “is not ~”. |
| Past | 器用だった kiyoudatta | 器用でした kiyoudeshita | “was ~”. |
| Past negative | 器用じゃなかった kiyoujanakatta | 器用じゃなかったです kiyoujanakattadesu | “was not ~”. |
| Te-form | 器用で kiyoude | — | Links to the next clause: “~ and …”. |
| Adverb | 器用に kiyouni | — | Turns it into “~ly”, describing a verb. |
| Before a noun | 器用な〜 kiyouna〜 | — | How it attaches when it modifies a noun. |
| Conditional (~ば/なら) | 器用なら kiyounara | — | “if it is ~”. |
| Conditional (~たら) | 器用だったら kiyoudattara | — | “if / when it is ~”. The everyday conditional. |
| Become (~なる) | 器用になる kiyouninaru | 器用になります kiyouninarimasu | “becomes ~” — the change-of-state form. |
| Too much (~すぎる) | 器用すぎる kiyousugiru | 器用すぎます kiyousugimasu | “too ~”. |
| Looks ~ (~そう) | 器用そう kiyousou | 器用そうです kiyousoudesu | “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.