The Meaning of subarashii [素晴らしい] In Japanese

素晴らしい
すばらしい
Romaji: subarashii N1

What does 素晴らしい mean?

Translation and Meaning

wonderful, splendid, superb, marvelous

Definition

素晴らしい means something that is excellent or remarkable, inspiring strong admiration; it describes things, performances, or landscapes that stand out in quality or beauty.

Type

i-adjective (形容詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • exceptional quality or beauty that provokes admiration
  • emotional resonance, often used as an exclamatory praise
  • applied to people or actions to denote outstanding achievement
  • more intense than merely good, close to ‘awesome’ in casual speech

Composition

  • 素 = plain, simple; 晴 = clear, bright; らしい = suffix indicating appearance, giving an adjective sense; together they form a meaning that extends to ‘clear and bright’ and by metaphor to ‘wonderful’

Usage

Used across formal and informal contexts to praise objects, performances, places, or experiences. It typically precedes a noun or modifies a noun directly in sentences and can appear in exclamations as a standalone statement; in writing, it conveys strong admiration without hyperbole, while in conversation it can express enthusiastic praise.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a plain (素) landscape that suddenly clears (晴) and shines — when something stands out as exceptionally good, recall 素晴らしい to remember the bright, clear quality it conveys.

Variations

  • 素敵 (suteki) – lovely, attractive
  • 見事 (migoto) – splendid, admirable
  • すごい (sugoi) – amazing, awesome
  • ひどい (hidoi) – terrible
  • 平凡 (heibon) – ordinary

Example Phrases

  • 今日の会議の発表は素晴らしいですね。
    Kyou no kaigi no happyou wa subarashii desu ne.
    The presentation at today’s meeting is wonderful, isn’t it?
    Lista:
    • 今日の (kyou no) – today’s
    • 会議の (kaigi no) – of the meeting
    • 発表は (happyou wa) – presentation (topic marker)
    • 素晴らしい (subarashii) – wonderful
    • です (desu) – is
    • ね (ne) – isn’t it
    「素晴らしい」 é um adjetivo i que significa ‘maravilhoso’; neste contexto ele modifica 発表 e expressa forte elogio, com です/ね acrescentando polidez e busca de concordância.
素晴らしい