The Meaning of abunai [危ない] In Japanese
危ない
あぶない
Romaji: abunai
N5
What does 危ない mean?
Translation and Meaning
dangerous, perilous
Definition
危ない means dangerous or risky; it describes situations, actions, or objects that pose harm and is commonly used to warn others or flag hazards; as an い-adjective, it can modify a noun directly or appear in statements and warnings.
Type
adjective (i-adjective) (形容詞・イ形容詞)
Stroke Order
Meanings
- dangerous or hazardous in general contexts
- used to warn someone about immediate risk
- expresses a near-miss or near danger in phrases like ところだった
Etymology
危なし (abunashi) was the classical form; the word later contracted to 危ない (abunai) in modern Japanese as the -ashi ending shifted to -ai, reflecting a common phonetic evolution from classical to modern i-adjectives.
Origin
Origin in classical Japanese as 危なし (abunashi); later usage broadened and the modern form 危ない established in the early modern period, becoming ubiquitous in everyday speech.
Composition
- 危: danger, risk
- ない: negative suffix turning the word into an i-adjective
Usage
Primarily used in casual spoken Japanese to warn others or describe danger, and in signs or instructions to indicate hazards; in formal writing, 危ない is less common and 危険です may be preferred for safety statements; it can stand alone as a warning or appear with particles to describe a dangerous situation in context.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture 危 as a cliff edge and ない as a negation; together they cue danger and the need to stay away.
Variations
- 危険な — dangerous (kiken na)
- あぶねえ (abunee) — informal, rough spoken variant
Example Phrases
-
歩道で子どもが自転車に乗っていて、危ない。hodō de kodomo ga jitensha ni notte ite, abunai.It’s dangerous because a child is riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.Lista:
- 歩道で (hodō de) – on the sidewalk
- 子どもが (kodomo ga) – a child
- 自転車に (jitensha ni) – on a bicycle
- 乗っていて (notte ite) – riding
- 危ない (abunai) – dangerous
The target word is 「危ない」, an i-adjective meaning ‘dangerous’; here it warns about the situation.
