やばい

や

ば

い

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

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

Meanings

i-adjective

dangerous; risky; bad

colloquial

Colloquial adjective for a situation that is physically dangerous, risky, or likely to end badly. Often used as an exclamation.

この道みちは夜よるはやばいよ。
This road is dangerous at night.
やばい、宿しゅく題だい忘わすれた！
Oh no, I forgot my homework!

i-adjective

awful; terrible; crap

slang

Slang use for something of very poor quality, unpleasant, or disappointing. Stronger than まずい or ひどい in casual speech.

この映えい画が、マジでやばかった。
This movie was seriously terrible.
あの店みせのサービス、やばくない？
Isn't the service at that shop awful?

i-adjective

terrific; amazing; cool

slang

Slang positive sense: extremely good, impressive, or exciting. Often used by younger speakers. Context and intonation distinguish it from the negative senses.

この曲きょく、やばくない？めっちゃいい！
Isn't this song amazing? It's so good!
あの選せん手しゅのプレーはやばいね。
That player's performance is incredible.

i-adjective

crazy; insane; extreme; unhinged

slang

Slang for something or someone that is wildly unusual, extreme, or mentally off. Can describe a person's behavior, a situation, or an intense degree.

彼かれのファッションはいつもやばい。
His fashion is always crazy.
昨日きのうのテスト、やばいほど難むずかしかった。
Yesterday's test was insanely difficult.

See all 61 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉になったらやばいit'll be bad/dangerous if a certain thing happens
遅ち刻こくしたらやばいから急いそごう。
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)
このラーメン、味あじがやばいくらいまずい。
This ramen's taste is insanely bad.
〈物もの〉、やばくない？isn't this amazing? (casual exclamation of admiration)
この曲きょく、やばくない？
Isn't this song amazing?
やばいくらい〈形けい容よう詞し〉insanely/extremely (adjective)
彼かの女じょはやばいくらいかわいい。
She's insanely cute.

Related words· 9

危あぶないN5sense 1
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N5sense 3
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N4sense 1
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N4sense 2
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

卍まんじ
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N3
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.
すっごい
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.
すげー
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.
えぐい
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.

Written forms

やばいUsage54%
Standard hiragana spelling; the most common written form.
ヤバイUsage28%
Full katakana spelling, often used in manga, ads, or casual online writing for a strong informal tone.
ヤバいUsage18%
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.