素晴らしい
subarashii[sɨba̠ɾa̠ɕiː]
The Japanese word for wonderful is 素晴らしい (subarashii).
素晴らしい is an adjective used to express deep admiration for something that is not just 'good' but truly impressive or magnificent.
Meaning: excellent, extremely impressive (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 素晴らしい is used for something truly excellent or sublime, すごい is a much more common, colloquial way to say 'amazing' or 'great' in daily conversation.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the adjective 素晴らしい into an adverb, replace the final -i with -ku to get 素晴らしく.
How do you pronounce it?
subarashii
Did you know?
- The word 素晴らしい originally meant something so overwhelming that it made a person 'shrink away' in fear or discomfort.
- While 素晴らしい describes a sublime quality, the common alternative すごい can actually mean 'terrible' or 'scary' depending on the context.
Examples in context
- 素晴らしい。Ah, wonderful.Tatoeba #140644 by tommy__san, translation #273928 by zzxjoanw
- 素晴らしい！Wonderful!Tatoeba #1282970 by bunbuku, translation #433510 by CK
- 素晴らしいですね！How wonderful!Tatoeba #140645 by small_snow, translation #36125 by CM
- 彼女の歌声はすばらしいです。Her singing voice is wonderful.
- プロジェクトが完了したことはすばらしい成果です。The completion of the project is a wonderful achievement.
- この庭園はすてきな景色でいっぱいです。This garden is filled with wonderful scenery.
- 彼女のドレスがすてきですね。Her dress is wonderful, isn't it?
- 映画はすごかった！The movie was wonderful!
- このラーメンはえらい美味しいんやで。This ramen is wonderfully delicious, you know.
- 君の絵、えらい上手やな。Your painting is wonderfully skillful.
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Youta are looking at a beautiful sunset at the beach.
- 美咲 Misaki素晴らしい景色ですね。Subarashii keshiki desu ne.It is a wonderful view, isn't it?
- 陽太 Yota本当に素晴らしいです。Hontou ni subarashii desu.It truly is wonderful.
- 美咲 Misakiずっと見ていたいですね。Zutto mite itai desu ne.I want to keep watching it forever.
- 陽太 Yota僕もそう思います。Boku mo sou omoimasu.I think so too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 素晴らしい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 素晴らしい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
