連体形(れんたいけい)

A technical term from traditional Japanese grammar (国文法(こくぶんぽう)). Composed of 連体(れんたい) ("linking to a body [noun]") + 形(けい) ("form"). Functionally, this is the form a predicate takes when it attaches directly to a noun as a modifier.

Usage

• For verbs and i-adjectives, the 連体形(れんたいけい) is identical in shape to the 終止形(しゅうしけい) in modern Japanese: 書(か)く人(ひと), 高(たか)い山(やま).
• For na-adjectives, the 連体形(れんたいけい) ends in 〜な: 静(しず)かな部屋(へや).
• For the copula だ, the 連体形(れんたいけい) is な or (more formally) である.
• Any clause that modifies a noun (a "relative clause") ends in the 連体形(れんたいけい).

Common collocations

• 連体形(れんたいけい)に活用(かつよう)する: to conjugate into the attributive form
• 名詞(めいし)を修飾(しゅうしょく)する連体形(れんたいけい): the attributive form that modifies a noun
• 連体修飾(れんたいしゅうしょく): noun modification (by a clause or adjective)

Related words

• 終止形(しゅうしけい): terminal form — identical in shape for verbs/i-adjectives in modern Japanese
• 連用形(れんようけい): continuative form — modifies verbs/predicates
• 未然形(みぜんけい): irrealis form
• 仮定形(かていけい): hypothetical form
• 命令形(めいれいけい): imperative form
• 連体詞(れんたいし): adnominal — a part of speech that only functions attributively (e.g., その, あの)