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).

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

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このスープは魚(さかな)のうま味(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)味(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. (~ness)

弱(よわ)味(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)味(み)がないな。

This sentence is not interesting at all. (~ness)

渋(しぶ)味(み)がある食(た)べ物(もの)は苦手(にがて)だ。

I don't really like foods that have a bitter taste. (bitterness)

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- さ and み side-by-side
  Maggie Sensei
- Difference between さ and み
  Japanese Stack Exchange

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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