大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)

大丈夫(だいじょうぶ) is a na-adjective meaning okay, all right, or safe - one of the most useful words in Japanese.

Forms

• As a predicate: 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です (It's okay)
• Before a noun, add な: 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)な建物(たてもの) (a building that is safe)
• The に form is rare; use 安全(あんぜん)に for "safely" instead.

Common collocations

• Asking: 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)ですか? (Are you okay? Is it all right?)
• Responding: 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です (I'm fine / It's okay)
• Declining: 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です (No, thank you - polite refusal)

Common patterns

• 〜ても大丈夫(だいじょうぶ): It's okay even if ~
• 〜なくても大丈夫(だいじょうぶ): It's okay even without ~
• 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)そう: seems okay

Similar words

• 平気(へいき): unbothered, not minding it (about the speaker's feelings)
• 安全(あんぜん): safe in an objective, technical sense (traffic, equipment)
• 無事(ぶじ): safe and sound after something risky happened

Usage

In casual speech, 大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です has become a common way to politely decline offers (like "No, thank you"), though some consider this usage informal. 結構(けっこう)です is the older, more formal equivalent.