Translation guide
Describes something full of danger or risk. In Japanese, this is commonly expressed with adjectives like 危険な (kiken na) or 危うい (ayaui), or through set phrases. The choice depends on formality and whether the danger is physical, moral, or situational.
The most common meaning: something that involves serious danger or risk.
The standard, neutral adjective for 'dangerous' or 'perilous'. Used for physical danger, risky actions, or hazardous situations.
That mountain path is perilous.
It was a perilous adventure.
Means 'dangerous' or 'critical', often implying a narrow escape or a precarious situation. Slightly more literary or dramatic than 危険な.
I was saved from a perilous situation.
His position is perilous.
Describes a place or situation that feels unsafe, turbulent, or threatening. Often used for social unrest or a dangerous neighborhood.
This area is perilous at night.
Literally 'life-risking'. Used for extremely perilous endeavors where one's life is at stake.
It was a perilous rescue operation.
When 'perilous' refers to a situation that could easily become disastrous, often due to instability.
危険な is the most common and neutral word for 'dangerous'. 危うい carries a nuance of being on the brink of disaster or narrowly avoiding it, and is often used in more dramatic or literary contexts.
A literary idiom meaning 'a candle flickering in the wind', i.e., a situation that is perilously close to collapse.
His life is in a perilous state.