すごい

す

ご

い

すごい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	すごい	すごくない
Polite	すごいです	すごくないですalso すごくありません
Past polite	すごかったです	すごくなかったですalso すごくありませんでした
Past	すごかった	すごくなかった
Te-form	すごくて	すごくなくて
Adverbial	すごく
Conditional	すごければ	すごくなければ
Tara conditional	すごかったら	すごくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

terrible; dreadful; awful

usually written using kana alone

Used for negative extremes: something frightening, severe, or shockingly bad. Often in the pattern すごい〜.

すごい嵐あらしで電でん車しゃが止とまった。
A terrible storm stopped the trains.
彼かれの部屋へやはすごい散ちらかりようだ。
His room is dreadfully messy.

i-adjective

amazing; great; wonderful; terrific

usually written using kana alone

Used for positive extremes: impressive, excellent, or surprisingly good. Very common in casual speech.

このラーメン、すごいおいしい！
This ramen is amazingly delicious!
彼かの女じょの英えい語ごはすごい上手じょうずだ。
Her English is really great.

i-adjective

vast; enormous; tremendous (in scale or number)

usually written using kana alone

Emphasizes a large quantity, scale, or degree. Often used with numbers or amounts.

すごい数かずの人ひとが集あつまった。
A tremendous number of people gathered.
この仕し事ごとにはすごい時じ間かんがかかった。
This work took an enormous amount of time.

adverb

awfully; very; immensely

usually written using kana alonecolloquial

Colloquial adverbial use, often as すごく or すごい directly modifying adjectives/verbs. The すごい+adjective form is common in casual speech but considered less formal than すごく.

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉がすごいthe amount/number is enormous
会かい場じょうに集あつまった人ひとの数かずがすごかった。
The number of people who gathered at the venue was tremendous.
すごく〈形けい容よう詞し〉very ~ (colloquial intensifier before an adjective)
このケーキはすごくおいしい。
This cake is really delicious.
すごい〈物もの〉an amazing/incredible thing
これはすごい発はつ明めいだ。
This is an amazing invention.
すごい〈人ひと〉an amazing/impressive person
彼かれは本ほん当とうにすごい人ひとだ。
He is truly an amazing person.

Expressions

すごいことになるgo crazy; get out of hand; end up in an extreme state

Kanji

凄uncanny, weird, threatening

Related words· 19

凄すさまじいN1sense 1
凄まじい describes something fierce or overwhelming and is always intense, while 凄い is broader and can be mild, casual, or even positive.
素す晴ばらしいN4sense 2
素晴らしい is a purely positive, slightly more formal word for 'wonderful', while 凄い covers both good and bad extremes and sounds more casual.
とてもN4sense 4
とても is the neutral, standard intensifier taught in textbooks, while 凄い/すごく is more emphatic, colloquial, and can sound exaggerated.
大たい変へんN5sense 4
大変 is a more formal intensifier suitable for polite or written contexts, whereas 凄い/すごく is casual and used mainly in spoken Japanese.

Show 15 more

ひどいN4sense 1
ひどい is used only for the negative sense of 'terrible' or 'cruel', while 凄い can shift to mean 'amazing' depending on context.
恐おそろしいN3sense 1
恐ろしい specifically conveys fear or dread, while 凄い's negative sense is broader and can mean 'severe' or 'shocking' without necessarily being scary.
すげー
すごい is the standard adjective/exclamation for 'amazing', while すげー is its rougher, more emphatic colloquial pronunciation, common in casual male speech.
いいね
いいね is a mild expression of approval, while すごい conveys stronger admiration or amazement at something impressive.
すっごい
すごい is the neutral standard form for 'amazing/terrible', while すっごい adds extra colloquial emphasis and emotional punch.
偉えらいN4
すごい is a broad intensifier for 'amazing' or 'terrible' in almost any context, while 偉い specifically praises moral worth, effort, or high status.
グレート
すごい is a native, everyday i-adjective for 'amazing', while グレート is a loanword with a trendier, more Western feel and is used only casually.
ものすごいN3
すごい is the everyday, more casual intensifier for 'amazing' or 'terrible', while ものすごい is a stronger, more emphatic version of the same idea.
恐おそるべき
すごい is a casual, everyday word for 'amazing' or 'terrible', while 恐るべき is far more formal and dramatic in tone.
大たいしたN3
すごい is a common, casual word for 'amazing/great' usable in positive exclamations, while 大した is a pre-noun adjectival often paired with negation to downplay something (大したことない).
やばいN1
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.
ファンタスティック
すごい is a very common, all-purpose casual word for 'amazing', while ファンタスティック is a flashier loanword used for extra emphasis or style.
猛もう烈れつN1
すごい is a common casual intensifier meaning 'amazing' or 'terrible', while 猛烈 is stronger and more formal as an adjective, though both can be used colloquially as adverbs.
甚はなはだしいN2
すごい is a casual, all-purpose intensifier that can be positive or negative, whereas 甚だしい is formal and almost always negative.
えぐい
すごい is the standard word for amazing or impressive, while えぐい (in this slang sense) is a more casual, edgy way to express the same admiration.

Don't confuse with

ひどいN4
凄い is usually a positive exclamation ('amazing'), while ひどい is almost always negative, so learners must not swap them even though both can intensify a statement.

Word family

ものすごいN3
terrific; tremendous; incredible · terrible; awful; horrific
凄すご腕うで
remarkable ability; mastery; brilliant technique · go-getter; resourceful person; wizard; virtuoso
凄すごみ
ghastliness; dreadfulness; weirdness · intimidation; menace; threat
すごく
very; extremely; incredibly
凄すごむ
threaten; intimidate; glare menacingly
凄すご文もん句く
intimidating language; threatening words

Written forms

すごいUsage76%
The word is usually written in kana. The kanji spelling 凄い exists but is less common in everyday writing.
凄すごいUsage20%
Kanji spelling; recognized but less common than kana. Often used for literary or emphatic effect.
スゴイUsage3%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis, in informal writing, or in advertising.
スゴいUsage1%
search-only kana form

Etymology

Originally from classical Japanese 凄し (sugoshi), meaning 'terrible' or 'frightening'. The modern positive and intensifying uses developed through colloquial extension.