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やばい (yabai) Japanese meaning: dangerous | Kotomora
Common word› JLPT N1 › Freq. Frequency Top 2,000 Conjugation やばい · i-adjective
Form Positive Negative Dictionary やばい やばくない Polite やばいです やばくないです also やばくありません Past polite やばかったです やばくなかったです also やばくありませんでした Past やばかった やばくなかった Te-form やばくて やばくなくて Adverbial やばく Conditional やばければ やばくなければ Tara conditional やばかったら やばくなかったら
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Meanings Jump to a sense… 1. dangerous; risky; bad 2. awful; terrible; crap 3. terrific; amazing; cool 4. crazy; insane; extreme; unhinged Report an issue with this page
This road is dangerous at night.
Oh no, I forgot my homework!
Usage patterns 〈 事こと 〉 になったらやばい it'll be bad/dangerous if a certain thing happens
If we're late it'll be bad, so let's hurry.
〈 物もの 〉 の 味あじ がやばい the taste of something is terrible (or, ironically, amazing)
This ramen's taste is insanely bad.
〈 物もの 〉 、 やばくない ？ isn't this amazing? (casual exclamation of admiration)
やばいくらい 〈 形けい 容よう 詞し 〉 insanely/extremely (adjective)
Related words· 9 危ない is the neutral, standard word for 'dangerous', while やばい is a casual slang term that can mean dangerous, terrible, or amazing depending on tone.
すごい is a common word for 'amazing' or 'terrible' usable in polite speech, whereas やばい is more slangy and carries a stronger sense of extremity.
まずい describes a bad or awkward situation (or bad taste) in fairly plain language, while やばい is slangier and can also describe outright danger.
ひどい means 'terrible' or 'cruel' in a more general, neutral register, while やばい is casual slang used for the same idea of something awful.
Show 5 more As internet slang, 卍 is tacked onto a sentence for excitement or disgust much like やばい, but やばい is everyday spoken Japanese while 卍 is a niche, text-based net-slang interjection.
しまった is said the instant you realize you've made a mistake, while やばい is a broader casual exclamation for anything alarming, dangerous, or bad, not just one's own blunder.
やばい is a slangier word that can also swing between 'awful' and 'awesome' like すっごい, but it feels even more casual and is common among younger speakers.
やばい is an even more general slang exclamation that can mean 'amazing' or 'terrible' depending on tone, whereas すげー leans specifically toward positive amazement or surprise.
Written forms やばい Usage 54%
Standard hiragana spelling; the most common written form.
ヤバイ Usage 28%
Full katakana spelling, often used in manga, ads, or casual online writing for a strong informal tone.
ヤバい Usage 18%
Mixed katakana-hiragana spelling used for emphasis or informal style.
Etymology Originally a slang term used in the Edo period among criminals and gamblers to mean 'dangerous' or 'risky'. The exact derivation is uncertain. Over time it broadened into general youth slang with both negative and positive meanings.
やばい is a versatile slang intensifier that can mean great or terrible depending on context, while えぐい (in this sense) is used specifically as a strong positive intensifier by younger speakers.
