いい
iieveryday, casual
The most common way to say "good" in hiragana is いい (ii). The same word is also written よい (yoi) and is a little more formal.
Meaning: good (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| いい | ii | everyday, casual |
| よい | yoi | formal, written |
What does it mean word for word?
いい and よい are two readings of one adjective. In spoken Japanese いい (ii) is the normal form before nouns and at the end of a sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
Only the よ (yo) stem is used when the word changes. The past form is よかった (yokatta) and the negative is よくない (yokunai). Using いかった is a common learner error.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Learners often say いい in the past tense. Use よかった (yokatta) for "it was good".
Did you know?
- いい (ii) is the only common adjective where the spoken form and the written stem differ: it becomes よ (yo) when it changes endings.
Examples in context
- いい てんきですね。Ii tenki desu ne.It is nice weather, isn't it.
- それは いい かんがえです。Sore wa ii kangae desu.That is a good idea.
- きのうの えいがは よかった。Kinō no eiga wa yokatta.Yesterday's movie was good.
Example conversation
Mika and her coworker Sota talk about a new cafe near the office.
- Mikaあの カフェ、どう？Ano kafe, dō?How is that cafe?
- Sotaコーヒーが おいしくて、いい みせだよ。Kōhī ga oishikute, ii mise da yo.The coffee is tasty and it is a good place.
- Mikaよかった。こんど いこう。Yokatta. Kondo ikō.Great. Let us go next time.
