おっかない

おっかない
adjective (i)
scary, frightening
1. scary, frightening, intimidating
Colloquial expression meaning frightening or scary. Originally from eastern Japanese dialects, now widely understood in casual speech.
おっかない(かお)をしている。
He has a scary face.
あの先生(せんせい)はおっかないよ。
That teacher is scary, you know.
夜道(よみち)一人(ひとり)(ある)くのはおっかないからやめなさい。
Don't walk alone on the road at night — it's scary.

FORMS:

  • Adverbial: おっかなく (rare)
  • Noun form: おっかなさ

CONJUGATION:

  • Negative: おっかなくない
  • Te-form: おっかなくて
  • Past: おっかなかった

USAGE:
A colloquial synonym of (こわ)い. Originally a Kanto (eastern Japan) dialect word, it is widely understood throughout Japan but retains a casual, slightly rough tone. More common in spoken language than in writing.

RELATED EXPRESSION:

  • おっかなびっくり — fearfully, timidly (doing something while scared)