The adjective いい (good) is indisputably a good word, both to know and say. Even on its own, it’s very useful. いいですね II DESU NE (that’s good isn’t it?/ that sounds good) is a very common expression.

いい appears frequently with the same words, and it can also be used in different sentence patterns.

I want to give some examples of the uses of いい in this post.

Common Words Used With いい

天気がいい TENKI GA II (the weather is good)

気持ちがいい　KIMOCHI GA II (Feeling is good / feels good)

人がいい　HITO GA II (personality is good / have a good nature)

給料がいい　KYUURYOU GA II. (Salary is good)

As an alternative, the adjective can go before the noun instead:

いい天気 II TENKI (good weather)

いい気持ち II KIMOCHI (a good feeling)

いい人 II HITO (a good person)　トラさんはいい人です。TORA-SAN WA II HITO DESU (Tora-san is a good person)

いい給料 II KYUURYOU ( a good salary)

More common idiomatic expressions

仲がいい NAKA GA II (relations are good). 仲 NAKA refers to a relationship between people eg あの二人は仲がいい ANO FUTARI WA NAKA GA II (those two people are close/on good terms).

調子がいい CHOUSHI GA II (condition is good). 調子 CHOUSHI can be used about someone’s physical condition eg 今日は調子がいい KYOU WA CHOUSHI GA II (I feel in good health/shape today).

頭がいい ATAMA GA II (head is good). This means someone is clever eg トラさんは頭がいい TORA-SAN WA ATAMA GA II (Tora-san is clever)

いい can also be used in other types of sentence.

For example, if you are talking about a food or an activity, you might want to say: 体にいい KARADA NI II (good for your body  / good for you). Note the use of the particle に to indicate what something is good for eg KARADA (body).

If you have already had enough of something, you might say もういい (that’s enough) I don’t need anymore

If something is just right, you can say: ちょうどいい (just right). The ちょうど CHOUDO means exactly/precisely.

Finally, いい can be used with verbs.

For example, if you see a biscuit on the table, you might ask: たべてもいいですか？ TABETE MO II DESU KA (Is it ok to eat it?/ Can I eat it?). The いい means ok/acceptable in this situation.

Likewise, if you wish to say you or somebody else does not need to do something, you can say: しなくてもいいです SHINAKUTE MO II DESU (I don’t need to do it/ there is no need to do it).

We can do good things in general as well: いいことをする　II KOTO O SURU (do something good).

こと means abstract thing, as in something without real form like the act of scrubbing the kitchen floor, or studying Japanese.

Japan is now opening up to tourists. That is definitely an いいこと.

Useful Links

NHK World has some excellent free programs for learning about Japan and Japanese. This week, I watched “Learn Japanese From The News’.

The 10 minute program highlights a story, and breaks down some of the words and expressions from the news reports. The fact it is actual news makes it more engaging.

Sightseeing Route Reopens in Owakudani, Hakone - Learn Japanese from the News | NHK WORLD-JAPAN On Demand

The news story was on Hakone, a hot-spring National Park in the foothills of Mount Fuji. I used to regularly lead group tours there in the Spring and Autumn. When Mount Fuji is in sight, Hakone is a stunning spot.

The documentary below has more on Hakone and the people who live there. I liked the way the locals were allowed to speak for themselves. It also gives an insight into how this normally tourist heavy region has coped with the pandemic.

Hakone: Centuries of Hospitality - Seasoning the Seasons | NHK WORLD-JAPAN On Demand

Finally, if you are interested in the latest trends in Japanese language, I can recommend a look the monthly Japanese slang review by Japanese lecturer, Wes Robertson:

Japanese Slang Review – April 2022 – Scripting Japan (wordpress.com)