偉えらい

え

ら

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

i-adjective

Used to praise someone's character, actions, or achievements as morally or socially worthy.

い

ね

。

It's admirable that you keep studying every day.

2

i-adjective

Describes someone of high status, rank, or prominence in an organization or field.

3

i-adjective

usually written using kana alone

Colloquial use to express that something is extreme in a negative way; often written in kana.

4

i-adjective

tiring; tough; hard

usually written using kana alone

Describes a task or situation as physically or mentally demanding; often used in casual speech.

5

adverb

usually written using kana alone

Kansai dialect adverb used for emphasis; usually written in kana.

偉えらいUsage49%
Standard kanji spelling for all senses, though kana is preferred for senses 3-5.
えらいUsage43%
Kana spelling is usual for the colloquial intensifier and Kansai-ben adverb senses.
エライUsage6%
search-only kana form
エラいUsage2%
search-only kana form
豪えらいUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

すごい
すごい is a more general intensifier for 'amazing' or 'terrible', while 偉い focuses on moral worth or high status.
立りっ派ぱ
立派 emphasizes splendid appearance or admirable quality, often more formal than 偉い.

Derived from classical Japanese 偉し (erashi), meaning 'great' or 'noble'. The colloquial and dialectal uses developed later as semantic extensions.