It is a verb. I think instead of saying "they conjugate like i-adjectives but they are not actual adjectives", it'd be better to point out that these are just the negative forms of いける (in turn from いく) and なる.
I like the explanation from this page, namely that it gives the humorous suggestion that "it cannot go" and "it will not become" ominously suggest the end of the world, or some other such dire consequence, if the condition were to be true. This helps the reader understand why they're いけない and ならない and gives them a vivid metaphor, all of which serves to make it easier to remember. Otherwise it's a meaningless couple of syllables, which is harder (Japanese vocabulary goes in one ear and out the other for me).
It is a verb. I think instead
It is a verb. I think instead of saying "they conjugate like i-adjectives but they are not actual adjectives", it'd be better to point out that these are just the negative forms of いける (in turn from いく) and なる.
I like the explanation from this page, namely that it gives the humorous suggestion that "it cannot go" and "it will not become" ominously suggest the end of the world, or some other such dire consequence, if the condition were to be true. This helps the reader understand why they're いけない and ならない and gives them a vivid metaphor, all of which serves to make it easier to remember. Otherwise it's a meaningless couple of syllables, which is harder (Japanese vocabulary goes in one ear and out the other for me).
- Kef