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 |
Colloquial adjective for a situation that is physically dangerous, risky, or likely to end badly. Often used as an exclamation.
この道は夜はやばいよ。
This road is dangerous at night.
Oh no, I forgot my homework!
Slang use for something of very poor quality, unpleasant, or disappointing. Stronger than まずい or ひどい in casual speech.
This movie was seriously terrible.
Isn't the service at that shop awful?
Slang positive sense: extremely good, impressive, or exciting. Often used by younger speakers. Context and intonation distinguish it from the negative senses.
Isn't this song amazing? It's so good!
That player's performance is incredible.
If we're late it'll be bad, so let's hurry.
This ramen's taste is insanely bad.
Isn't this song amazing?
She's insanely cute.
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.
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.