怖い（こわい）
JLPT N5 · i-adjective
Pitch accent: nakadaka (middle-high) — pitch drops after mora 2
Meaning: scary
Conjugation
| Form | Japanese | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| te-form | 怖くて | こわくて |
| ta-form (past) | 怖かった | こわかった |
| nai-form (negative) | 怖くない | こわくない |
See the full conjugation table for "怖い" →
Example sentences
- 私は怖い映画がとても苦手だ。 — I'm not good with scary movies at all.
- 夜の暗い道は少し怖い。 — Dark streets at night are a bit scary.
Idioms & proverbs containing “怖い”
- 行きはよいよい帰りは怖い (いきはよいよいかえりはこわい) — going there is easy but coming back is scary
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “怖い” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)