み (JLPT N3) | Bunpro

About み

み is a common suffix in Japanese that has the role of transforming adjectives into nouns. This is often translated as '(A)ness' in English, but has a few small differences.
To use み, attach it to the stem form of either い-Adjectives or な-Adjectives. The 語幹(ごかん) (stem form) being the form with い removed (for い-Adjectives), or な removed (for な-Adjectives).

温(あたた)かみのある家(いえ)に住(す)みたいな。
I want to live in a house with warmth.
大人(おとな)になってから将棋(しょうぎ)の楽(たの)しみが分(わ)かってきた。
Since becoming an adult, I understand shogi's fun.
この色(いろ)からこのフルーツの新鮮(しんせん)みがかじられる。
From the color of this fruit, you can see its freshness.
友達(ともだち)の大切(たいせつ)みがわかった。
Now, I understand the importance of friends.

Caution

み's differences from ~ness are as follows. み is used to highlight the 'condition', or 'place' in which something exists in a constant state. Therefore, it will not be used to highlight varying degrees of ~ness, only innate qualities that are not being specifically measured.

どれぐらいの辛(から)みの物(もの)が食(た)べられる？
What's the hotness of something that you can eat? (Unnatural, as どれぐらい implies an amount, rather than a quality)
このケーキの甘(あま)みがちょうどいい。
The sweetness of this cake is perfect. (Natural, as this just means the 'type' of sweetness, rather than the 'level')

In addition to this, み is sometimes used directly as a substitute for 味(み), the kanji meaning 'taste'. In these cases, み tends to describe a quality of something that can be sensed (such as taste or color).

昆布(こんぶ)の旨(うま)味(み)がちゃんと出(で)てる！
The flavor of the kelp is really coming out! (The savory quality, rather than the intensity of savory flavor)
髪(かみ)を染(そ)めてから、赤(あか)みがなくなった。
After dying my hair, the redness has gone away. (The red quality, rather than the intensity of redness)

Synonyms

Examples

このスープは魚(さかな)のうまみが感(かん)じられるね。
I can taste the deliciousness of the fish in this soup, right?
人(ひと)の痛(いた)みがわかる人間(にんげん)になろう。
Let's become people who can understand the pain of others.
弱(よわ)みを人(ひと)に見(み)せたくない。
I don't want to show others my weakness.
この文章(ぶんしょう)は全然(ぜんぜん)面白(おもしろ)みがないな。
This sentence is not interesting at all.
毎日(まいにち)何(なん)かもらっていると、だんだんありがたみがなくなってくる。
If you receive something everyday, you will gradually lose the feeling of gratitude.
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み – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (3 in total)

Sayu
So there is this example sentence:

この文章は全然面白みがないな。

And I was wondering what the difference was between this and:

この文章は全然面白くないな。
Pushindawood
@Sayu Hey! It really comes down to a difference in nuance and what the speaker wishes to express. When you add み or さ to adjectives, they become nouns. So, 面白み is closer to “appeal,” “attraction,” or “interest,” while 面白い is “interesting,” “appealing,” or “fascinating.” Therefore, 全然面白みがない means “it has no appeal” and 全然面白くない means “it is not interesting at all.” Cheers!
Johnathan-Weir
This short video would be a good addition to the readings section