怖い
kowai[ko̞β̞a̠i]
The Japanese word for scary is 怖い (kowai).
怖い is used to describe something that is scary or to express that a person feels afraid. It can refer to an external stimulus that causes fear, as well as the internal state of feeling fear itself.
Meaning: causing fear or anxiety (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 怖い is the standard way to express fear or scaring, the word 恐ろしい is a more formal or intense synonym. Use 恐ろしい to describe something that is dreadful, terrifying or involves a more profound, objective sense of terror.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective 怖い can be conjugated to change its tense or polarity. The past tense, meaning 'was scary', is 怖かった and the negative form, meaning 'not scary', is 怖くない.
How do you pronounce it?
kowai
Did you know?
- An old folk etymology suggests that 怖い comes from the phrase meaning 'ghost of a glutton', which was used in historical picture books to explain the word's meaning.
- The word 怖い is frequently used as a reaction to something 'dangerously' impressive or an overwhelming amount of something.
- In Japanese, 怖い is often used to describe a strict teacher or a stern boss, even if they are not literally terrifying.
Examples in context
- 何が怖いの？What's scary?This sentence uses 怖い to ask what is causing fear.Tatoeba #5020254 by tommy_san, translation #5057812 by mactrey
- 君が怖いよ。You're scary!This sentence uses 怖い to tell someone they are scary.Tatoeba #5117733 by 999yudai, translation #5140152 by davidb
- 怖い話して。Tell a scary story.This sentence uses 怖い to refer to a scary story.Tatoeba #11792752 by small_snow, translation #10861085 by ddnktr
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are talking about a movie they just watched.
- 蓮 Renあの映画、すごく怖かったね。Ano eiga, sugoku kowakatta ne.That movie was really scary, wasn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、夜一人で歩くのが怖くなるよ。Un, yoru hitori de aruku no ga kowaku naru yo.Yeah, it makes me scared to walk alone at night.
- 蓮 Ren結衣はホラー映画が苦手なんだね。Yui wa horaa eiga ga nigate nanda ne.Yui, you're not good with horror movies, are you?
- 結衣 Yuiだって、本当に怖いもん。Datte, hontou ni kowai mon.Because they're really scary.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scary” translations and entries 怖い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 怖い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
