怖(こわ)い

こわい

adjective (i-adjective)

scary, frightening

See also: 怖(こわ)がる (-がる verb form)

Conjugation

	Affirmative	Negative
Present	怖(こわ)い	怖(こわ)くない
Past	怖(こわ)かった	怖(こわ)くなかった
て form	怖(こわ)くて	怖(こわ)くなくて
Adverbial	怖(こわ)く	—
Conditional ば	怖(こわ)ければ	怖(こわ)くなければ
Conditional たら	怖(こわ)かったら	怖(こわ)くなかったら

1. scary, frightening

Describes something that causes fear or is frightening. Can also describe the feeling of being scared.

その映画(えいが)は怖(こわ)かったです。

That movie was scary.

暗(くら)いところが怖(こわ)いです。

I'm scared of dark places.

Expressing fear of something

怖(こわ)い夢(ゆめ)を見(み)ました。

I had a scary dream.

犬(いぬ)が怖(こわ)くて、近(ちか)づけません。

I'm scared of dogs, so I can't go near them.

子供(こども)の時(とき)は夜(よる)一人(ひとり)で外(そと)に出(で)るのが怖(こわ)かったです。

When I was a child, I was scared of going outside alone at night.

怖(こわ)い is an i-adjective meaning 'scary' or 'frightening.' Unlike English, Japanese uses the same word for both 'scary' (describing the stimulus) and 'scared' (describing the feeling)—context determines the meaning.

GRAMMAR:

怖(こわ)くて (連用形(れんようけい)): 'scary and...' or 'because it's scary'
怖(こわ)くない: 'not scary'
怖(こわ)かった: 'was scary'
怖(こわ)がる: verb form meaning 'to be afraid of' or 'to act scared'

COMMON EXPRESSIONS:

怖(こわ)い話(はなし): scary story, ghost story
怖(こわ)い夢(ゆめ): nightmare, scary dream
怖(こわ)くて仕方(しかた)がない: to be terrified, can't help being scared
怖(こわ)いもの知(し)らず: fearless (literally 'not knowing scary things')

SIMILAR WORDS:

恐(おそ)ろしい: terrifying (stronger, more literary)
気味(きみ)が悪(わる)い: creepy, eerie
ビビる: to be freaked out (slang)

Related Words

Synonym: 恐(おそ)ろしい (terrifying (stronger))

basic

Added 2026.1.7 21:37 · Revised 2026.5.13 8:06

00500/00864_kowai