とても怖い
totemo kowai
The English phrase "so scary" is translated into Japanese as とても怖い (totemo kowai).
とても怖い is used to describe something that causes a great deal of fear. The core word 怖い is an i-adjective, which means it can be placed directly before a noun to describe it, such as in the phrase kowai yume (a scary dream).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of totemo, which means "very" and kowai, which means "scary".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While とても怖い is a standard way to express this, you can adjust the level of formality and colloquialism. To say "It is scary" politely, you can use Kowai desu. For an informal way to say "It is scary", you can use Kowai yo. In daily conversation, replacing totemo with sugoku to say すごく怖い makes the phrase sound more colloquial and common.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because kowai is an i-adjective, you can change its form to indicate tense.
How do you pronounce it?
totemo kowai
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific category of 'scary' stories called kaidan, which traditionally refers to tales of ghosts and the supernatural told during the humid summer months to 'cool down' the listener.
- While kowai means 'scary', the word osore refers to a more formal or respectful kind of fear, such as the awe one feels toward a deity or a high-ranking authority.
- In casual speech, instead of using とても (totemo), you might hear young people use 超 (chou) as a prefix, turning the phrase into 超怖い (chou kowai) to mean 'super scary'.
Examples in context
- あの映画はとても怖いです。Ano eiga wa totemo kowai desu.That movie is so scary.
- 夜の公園はとても怖い。Yoru no kouen wa totemo kowai.The park at night is so scary.
- 幽霊の話はとても怖いですね。Yuurei no hanashi wa totemo kowai desu ne.Ghost stories are so scary, aren't they?
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are talking about a horror story.
- 結衣 Yuiこの話、とても怖いね。Kono hanashi, totemo kowai ne.This story is so scary, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だね。もう眠れないよ。Hontou da ne. Mou nemurenai yo.It really is. I can't sleep anymore.
- 結衣 Yui電気をつけて寝ようか。Denki o tsukete neyou ka.Shall we sleep with the lights on?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうしよう。それがいい。Sou shiyou. Sore ga ii.Let's do that. That's a good idea.
