Why do so many Japanese adjectives have çš„ on the end?

Question

的 is a grammatical particle in Chinese signifying possession, and is also used in connecting adjectives and nouns.

So why is it that when Japan imported Chinese words and phrases, they kept 的 on the end of the word, even though it almost always has no Japanese meaning in the context of the word?

Some examples: 組織的, 効果的.

Why did Japan keep this character tacked on to the end of most Chinese-imported adjectives, when it has no real meaning in Japanese?

Answer 1

I don't know anything about chinese so I can say exactly when or why Japanese people started using 的 in this way.

But, I did read once that when Japan was trying to open itself up to the West during the Meiji Era, the Japanese elite were trying to think of ways to translate and handle many of the new words they were be exposed to. There are quite a few English words lwhich turn from a noun "system" into an adjective "systematic" by just adding "-tic". Since "tic" kind of sounds like "teki", one theory say that it was an attempt to fit these types of expressions into Japanese which led to "teki" becoming used in this way.  

的 is sort of used like 性. When it's attached to certain nouns like in your example 組織的, it's being used not so much to refer to the noun 組織 but rather the qualities, aspects and attributes of that noun. Basically, you've turned a noun into a noun adjective and are using it to modify some another expression.

So, I simply just think or "teki" as another type of suffix like 性 in which it's just being used to turn certain nouns into some kind of adjective.

Answer 2

Japanese did borrowed many characters/grammar from Chinese.  However, there are instances where the Japanese borrowed the character, but not necessarily the meaning.

The "teki" (的) here has multiple meanings when attached to another adjective/noun.

One of the usage for this term is similar to "nitsu ite".   or ...."in regarding to..."

or

it may be used as the way Chinese uses it, as an modifier.

or

it may carry a general meaning for the noun.

hope these helps

Answer 3

It does have meaning in Japanese and is not only used for Chinese imported words.  The character 的 (-teki) is an adjectival suffix that makes nouns like your example 組織 (organization) into adjective 組織的 (organizational).  It can have a variety of translations for example; -ish, -like, etc .  When it is modifying a noun it takes な-form: 日本的な服 (Japanese- like clothing).

Its use and meaning is similar, it seems, to Chinese usage.

Answer 4

When there is no available adjective in Japanese, 的 is usually attached to a noun to make it descriptive.