にぎやか
nigiyaka
The Japanese phrase にぎやか (nigiyaka) means lively.
にぎやか is used to describe an atmosphere or a place that is lively, bustling or noisy in a positive or energetic sense.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish にぎやか from うるさい (urusai). While にぎやか implies a positive or neutral liveliness, うるさい is used to describe noise that is annoying or bothersome.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use にぎやか as an adjective before a noun, you must add な (na) to the end, forming にぎやかな. The past tense is formed by adding でした (deshita) to the dictionary form, resulting in にぎやかでした. To express the negative, add ではない (de wa nai) to the dictionary form to get にぎやかではない.
How do you pronounce it?
nigiyaka
Did you know?
- Marketing materials for Japanese hotels or districts often use にぎやか to reassure travelers that an area is safe and populated rather than deserted.
- You can use にぎやか to describe a person's character, not just a location. A person described this way is perceived as having a boisterous, cheerful, and energetic personality.
- The root of にぎやか comes from the verb にぎわう (nigiwau), which originally meant that people were gathering together for a specific shared purpose.
Examples in context
- この街はとてもにぎやかです。Kono machi wa totemo nigiyaka desu.This town is very lively.
- にぎやかなレストランですね。Nigiyaka na resutoran desu ne.It's a lively restaurant, isn't it?
- にぎやかなカフェで待ち合わせしましょう。Nigiyaka na kafe de machiawase shimashou.Let's meet at a lively cafe.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are walking through a bustling shopping district.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さん、この商店街はにぎやかですね。Youta-san, kono shoutengai wa nigiyaka desu ne.Yota, this shopping street is lively, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、とてもにぎやかで楽しいです。Hai, totemo nigiyaka de tanoshii desu.Yes, it is very lively and fun.
- 結衣 Yui歩いているだけで元気になります。Aruite iru dake de genki ni narimasu.Just walking here makes me feel energized.
- 陽太 Yotaそうですね、活気がありますね。Sou desu ne, kakki ga arimasu ne.That's true, it has a lot of energy.
