ネガ

ねが
noun
negative (film); negative image
1. photographic negative; negative film
The developed film strip from a film camera where light and dark areas are reversed. Used as the source for printing photographs in traditional film photography.
ネガを現像(げんぞう)()す。
To send negatives for developing.
(ふる)いネガをデジタル()した。
I digitized old negatives.
()()しの(とき)(むかし)のネガが大量(たいりょう)()てきて、(なつ)かしくなった。
A large number of old negatives turned up when I was moving, and I felt nostalgic.
2. negative; pessimistic outlook (colloquial abbreviation)
A colloquial shortening of ネガティブ (negative), used to describe a pessimistic or negative attitude or way of thinking.
ネガなことばかり()うな。
Stop saying only negative things.
あの(ひと)はネガな発言(はつげん)(おお)い。
That person makes a lot of negative remarks.
SNSでネガな投稿(とうこう)ばかり()ていると、気分(きぶん)()()む。
If you only look at negative posts on social media, your mood will sink.

Short for ネガフィルム (negative film) in the photography sense. Despite the decline of film photography, the word remains in use when discussing old photographs or artistic film photography.

The colloquial abbreviation of ネガティブ is common in casual speech and online, especially among younger speakers. It functions as a quasi-adjective modifying nouns directly (ネガな...).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • ネガフィルム: negative film
  • ネガを()く: to print from a negative
  • ネガを現像(げんぞう)する: to develop negatives
  • ネガな気持(きも)ち: negative feelings
  • ネガな発言(はつげん): negative remarks

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • ネガティブ: negative — the full loanword form
  • ポジ: positive (film) — the opposite in photography, where colors appear as they are
  • フィルム: film — the physical medium itself