Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 立派な | rippa na | |
| 偉い | erai | [e̞ɾa̠i] (narrow) |
立派な is commonly used to describe things that are impressive in appearance, such as a building, a person's character or a completed work. It can mean splendid, fine or honorable.
Which one should you use?
While both can mean 'honorable', 偉い often carries a nuance of social status or being 'great' in a hierarchical sense, whereas 立派な focuses more on the quality or dignity of a person or thing.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In casual speech, 偉い can be used sarcastically to mean 'acting high and mighty' or 'acting important'. The phrase 尊敬している can be used informally to say 'I respect you.' The phrase めっちゃ尊敬してる is an informal way to express strong admiration.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 立派な becomes the adverb 立派に to describe how an action is performed.
How do you pronounce it?
rippa na
Did you know?
- The word 立派な is used to describe things that are physically imposing or magnificent, meaning you can call a large, sturdy tree 'honorable' in Japanese.
- In Japanese, 'honor' is often tied to the concept of 'face' or social standing, meaning an 'honorable' person is often defined by how they are perceived by the group rather than just internal virtue.
- Japanese has various levels of 'honorific' language called 敬語 that change the entire structure of a sentence, making the specific adjective for 'honorable' less important than the verb endings used.
Examples in context
- 偉い行為An honorable deedThis sentence shows how to use 偉い to describe an honorable deed.
- 彼は立派な先生です。Kare wa rippa na sensei desu.He is a respectable teacher.
- 立派な建物が建っていますね。Rippa na tatemono ga tatte imasu ne.A magnificent building has been built, hasn't it?
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are looking at a newly built community center.
- 美咲 Misaki立派な建物ですね。Rippa na tatemono desu ne.It is a magnificent building, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当ですね、立派です。Hontou desu ne, rippa desu.It really is, it's splendid.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太さんも、立派な大人になりたいですか？Youta-san mo, rippa na otona ni naritai desu ka?Yota, do you also want to become a respectable adult?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、努力します。Hai, doryoku shimasu.Yes, I will work hard at it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “honorable” translations and entries 偉い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
