偉い
偉い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 偉い | 偉くない |
| Polite | 偉いです | 偉くないですalso 偉くありません |
| Past polite | 偉かったです | 偉くなかったですalso 偉くありませんでした |
| Past | 偉かった | 偉くなかった |
| Te-form | 偉くて | 偉くなくて |
| Adverbial | 偉く | |
| Conditional | 偉ければ | 偉くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 偉かったら | 偉くなかったら |
Meanings
Used to praise someone's character, actions, or achievements as morally or socially worthy.
He is a great person.
It's admirable that you keep studying every day.
distinguished; high-ranking; eminent
Describes someone of high status, rank, or prominence in an organization or field.
I met a high-ranking person at the company.
He is an eminent scholar in the academic world.
Colloquial use to express that something is extreme in a negative way; often written in kana.
I had a terrible experience yesterday.
Things have gotten serious.
Describes a task or situation as physically or mentally demanding; often used in casual speech.
This job is tough.
Moving was really tiring.
Kansai dialect adverb used for emphasis; usually written in kana.
It's really cold, isn't it?
This ramen is extremely good.
Usage patterns
- 〈動詞〉て偉いwell done for doing ~ (praising someone's effort)
Good for you for doing all your homework by yourself!
- 偉くなるto rise to a high position; become distinguished
He kept climbing to higher positions in the company.
- 偉い目に遭うto go through a terrible/tough experience
The trains stopped because of the typhoon, and I had a terrible time.
- 〈人〉に偉いと言われるto be told by someone that you did well/are admirable
I was happy when my teacher told me I did a great job.