Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 偉い | erai | [e̞ɾa̠i] (narrow) |
| 立派な | rippa na |
To refer to the noun "a noble" or "an aristocrat", use 貴族. If you wish to describe nobility in terms of grandeur, elegance or refinement, you can use the term yuuga. Additionally, adding the honorific prefixes o or go to noble-related terms indicates a higher level of politeness and reverence.
Which one should you use?
偉い (erai) can refer to noble status, but it is frequently used colloquially to mean "great", "important" or "high-ranking". It can even be used sarcastically to mean "high and mighty". In contrast, 立派な (rippa na) focuses more on the quality of being admirable, magnificent, fine or worthy of respect, rather than focusing strictly on social rank.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
偉い is an i-adjective. 立派な is a na-adjective, which means it requires the particle な when placed directly before a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
erai
Did you know?
- In the imperial court of ancient Japan, the 'nobility' of a person was defined by their specific rank in the kan-i system, which dictated everything from the color of their clothes to the height of their gate.
- While 偉い (erai) describes someone of high status, it is often used by parents to praise children for being 'good' or 'great', a context that would sound strangely formal in English.
- In Japanese, the concept of 'noble' is often split between social rank, expressed by 貴族, and internal character, expressed by 立派な, because the two are not seen as inherently linked.
Examples in context
- 偉い連中Noble fellows / superior fellowsThis sentence shows how 偉い can be used to describe a group of people.
- 爵位があるから、貴族だというわけにはいかないんだぜ。爵位が無くても、天爵というものを持っている立派な貴族のひともあるし、おれたちのように爵位だけは持っていても、貴族どころか、賤民にちかいのもいる。It's not because you have a title, that you're a noble. There are people who have a natural nobility and are fine nobles. People like us who only have nobility titles are not nobles, we're more like peasants.This sentence uses 立派な to describe a noble person who possesses natural nobility regardless of their official title.Tatoeba #1241271 by Scott, translation #1246406 by Scott
- 彼は本物の貴公子です。He is a true noble.
- 彼は貴族のような態度を持っている。He carries himself with an aristocratic attitude.
- 彼は有名な家柄で育った。He was raised in a famous noble family.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about a local hero.
- 蓮 Renあの人は自分を犠牲にして人を助けたんだ。Ano hito wa jibun o gisei ni shite hito o tasuketa n da.That person sacrificed himself to help others.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に偉い精神を持っているね。Hontō ni erai seishin o motte iru ne.He really has a noble spirit.
- 蓮 Ren僕もあんな風になりたいよ。Boku mo anna fū ni naritai yo.I want to be like that too.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮ならきっとできると思うよ。Ren nara kitto dekiru to omou yo.I think you can do it, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “noble” translations and entries 偉い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
