特別 (tokubetsu) conjugation
special
特別 (とくべつ, tokubetsu) 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 | 特別だ tokubetsuda | 特別です tokubetsudesu | The form you look up. Also the casual “is ~”. |
| Negative | 特別じゃない tokubetsujanai | 特別じゃないです tokubetsujanaidesu | “is not ~”. |
| Past | 特別だった tokubetsudatta | 特別でした tokubetsudeshita | “was ~”. |
| Past negative | 特別じゃなかった tokubetsujanakatta | 特別じゃなかったです tokubetsujanakattadesu | “was not ~”. |
| Te-form | 特別で tokubetsude | — | Links to the next clause: “~ and …”. |
| Adverb | 特別に tokubetsuni | — | Turns it into “~ly”, describing a verb. |
| Before a noun | 特別な〜 tokubetsuna〜 | — | How it attaches when it modifies a noun. |
| Conditional (~ば/なら) | 特別なら tokubetsunara | — | “if it is ~”. |
| Conditional (~たら) | 特別だったら tokubetsudattara | — | “if / when it is ~”. The everyday conditional. |
| Become (~なる) | 特別になる tokubetsuninaru | 特別になります tokubetsuninarimasu | “becomes ~” — the change-of-state form. |
| Too much (~すぎる) | 特別すぎる tokubetsusugiru | 特別すぎます tokubetsusugimasu | “too ~”. |
| Looks ~ (~そう) | 特別そう tokubetsusou | 特別そうです tokubetsusoudesu | “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.