Which one should you use?
While the English version focuses on the person's internal state, the Japanese adjective 怖い can be understood as asking if a situation or thing is scary.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard polite way to ask this question to someone you are not close with or someone of higher status is 怖いですか？ For casual conversation with friends or family, you can drop the polite ending and simply use a rising intonation on 怖い？ to ask "Scared?" For informal contexts, you may also use 怖くない？ or 怖くないの？ to mean "Aren't you scared?"
How do you pronounce it?
kowai desu ka?
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with how you use the adjective. While it can translate to both "I am scared" and "It is scary" depending on context, it always describes the quality of the person or thing being discussed.
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 怖い can be used to describe a person's personality. If you say a person is 怖い, you are not saying they are afraid, but rather that they are a frightening or intimidating individual.
- While 怖い describes the quality of a thing, the word 恐ろしい (osoroshii) is used for things that are truly terrifying or awe-inspiring. It is often used in literature or news to describe disasters and great tragedies.
- To express a deeper, more visceral dread or a 'creepy' feeling, Japanese speakers often use 不気味 (bukimi) instead of 怖い. This specifically describes an eerie atmosphere that makes one feel uneasy.
Examples in context
- 先生、怖いですか？Teacher, are you scared?
- 大丈夫？怖くない？Are you okay? Aren't you scared?
- さっきの話、怖くないの？The story earlier, aren't you scared?
- お化けは怖いですか？Obake wa kowai desu ka?Are you scared of ghosts?
- 一人で夜道は怖いですか？Hitori de yomichi wa kowai desu ka?Are you scared of walking alone at night?
- 高いところは怖いですか？Takai tokoro wa kowai desu ka?Are you scared of high places?
Example conversation
Hina and Ren are about to enter a haunted house attraction.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さん、怖いですか？Ren-san, kowai desu ka?Ren, are you scared?
- 蓮 Renはい、実はとても怖いです。hai, jitsu wa totemo kowai desu.Yes, actually I'm very scared.
- 陽葵 Himari大丈夫ですよ。一緒に行きましょう。daijoubu desu yo. issho ni ikimashou.It's okay. Let's go together.
- 蓮 Renありがとうございます。お願いします。arigatou gozaimasu. onegai shimasu.Thank you. Please.
