信じられない
shinjirarenai
The Japanese word for incredible is 信じられない (shinjirarenai).
The term 信じられない can be used similarly to the English word 'incredible', meaning it can express something positive, such as being amazing or something negative, such as being unbelievable or absurd.
Meaning: amazing (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
信じられない is the plain/informal form. To make the phrase polite, change the ending to 信じられません.
How do you pronounce it?
shinjirarenai
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific word, 絶景, which describes an 'incredible view'. Using a general word like 信じられない for a landscape is less common than using this dedicated term for breathtaking scenery.
- In manga and anime, characters often use ありえない as a synonym for 信じられない. While both mean 'impossible' or 'incredible', ありえない literally means 'it cannot exist'.
- While English speakers often use 'incredible' to mean 'great', using 信じられない in a high-stakes business setting might sound overly emotional or dramatic. In professional contexts, words like 驚くべき are often preferred for 'remarkable'.
Examples in context
- トムは信じられないほどのアスリートだ。Tom is an incredible athlete.This sentence is useful for showing how to describe an athlete using 信じられない.Tatoeba #8002423 by Ninja, translation #8000645 by CK
- 信じられない話だな。That's an incredible story.This sentence is useful for describing a story as 信じられない.Tatoeba #1238292 by mookeee, translation #42571 by CK
- あの選手のスキルは信じられない！That player's skill is incredible!
- その映画、すごかった！That movie was incredible!
- あのイベント、めちゃくちゃ楽しかった！That event was incredibly fun!
- 信じられないくらい綺麗だ。Shinjirarenai kurai kirei da.It is incredibly beautiful.
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are looking at a beautiful painting.
- 陽太 Yotaこの絵、本当に信じられないね。kono e, hontō ni shinjirarenai ne.This painting is truly incredible.
- 結衣 Yuiそうだね。色がとても綺麗だわ。sō da ne. iro ga totemo kirei da wa.I agree. The colors are very beautiful.
- 陽太 Yota誰がこれを描いたんだろう。dare ga kore o egakitan darō.I wonder who painted this.
- 結衣 Yuiきっとすごい才能がある人ね。kitto sugoi sainō ga aru hito ne.They must be someone with amazing talent.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
