こわい
kowaihiragana, everyday
In hiragana, "scary" is こわい (kowai). It also means "afraid", as in わたしはこわい (watashi wa kowai), "I am scared". The more dramatic おそろしい (osoroshii) means "dreadful".
Meaning: frightening, scary (adjective)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| こわい | kowai | hiragana, everyday |
| おそろしい | osoroshii | hiragana, dreadful, written style |
こわい is used for a scary film, a dark road, a ghost or a strict teacher.
Which one should you use?
The kanji is 怖い.
How does it change in a sentence?
こわい is an i-adjective, so it becomes こわくない (kowakunai) for "not scary" and こわかった (kowakatta) for "was scary".
Did you know?
- A strict teacher can also be described with こわい, so the word does not only mean frightening objects.
Examples in context
- このえいがはこわいです。Kono eiga wa kowai desu.This movie is scary.
- くらいみちはこわい。Kurai michi wa kowai.Dark roads are scary.
- おばけがこわいです。Obake ga kowai desu.I am afraid of ghosts.
Example conversation
Two friends watch a horror movie at home late at night.
- Meiこのえいが、こわいね。Kono eiga, kowai ne.This movie is scary.
- Daikiうん、ちょっとこわい。Un, chotto kowai.Yeah, a little scary.
- Meiでんきをつけてもいい？Denki o tsukete mo ii?Can we turn the light on?
