危あやうい

あ

や

う

い

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

危うい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	危あやうい	危あやうくない
Polite	危あやういです	危あやうくないですalso 危あやうくありません
Past polite	危あやうかったです	危あやうくなかったですalso 危あやうくありませんでした
Past	危あやうかった	危あやうくなかった
Te-form	危あやうくて	危あやうくなくて
Adverbial	危あやうく
Conditional	危あやうければ	危あやうくなければ
Tara conditional	危あやうかったら	危あやうくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

dangerous; in danger; facing imminent danger

Describes a person or thing that is in immediate physical danger or at risk of harm. Often used in the pattern 危ういところ to mean 'a close call' or 'narrow escape'.

あの子こが道どう路ろに飛とび出だして、危あやういところだった。
That child ran into the road; it was a close call.
彼かれは命いのちが危あやうい状じょう態たいだ。
His life is in danger.

i-adjective

precarious; perilous; uncertain; insecure

Used for abstract situations, balances, or states that are unstable, unreliable, or likely to fail. Covers things like a precarious position, a shaky plan, or an uncertain future.

彼かれの立たち場ばは危あやうい。
His position is precarious.
この計けい画かくは成せい功こうするかどうか危あやうい。
It's uncertain whether this plan will succeed.

See all 45 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

危あやういところで〈動どう詞し〉to narrowly avoid/manage something at the last moment
危あやういところで事じ故こを免まぬがれた。
We narrowly avoided an accident.
〈人ひと〉の命いのちが危あやういsomeone's life is in grave danger
手しゅ術じゅつが遅おくれれば、患かん者じゃの命いのちが危あやうい。
If the surgery is delayed, the patient's life will be in danger.
〈人ひと〉の立たち場ばが危あやういsomeone's position (job, status) is precarious
業ぎょう績せき不ふ振しんで彼かれの立たち場ばは危あやうい。
With poor results, his position is on shaky ground.
〈事こと〉の均きん衡こうが危あやういa balance (of power, forces, etc.) is precarious
二に国こく間かんの均きん衡こうが危あやうい状じょう態たいにある。
The balance between the two countries is in a precarious state.

Expressions

累るい卵らんの危あやうきimminent danger; precarious situation
君くん子し危あやうきに近ちか寄よらずa wise man keeps away from danger
敵てきを知しり己おのれを知しれば百ひゃく戦せん危あやうからずknow your enemy and know yourself, and you will not fear a hundred battles

Kanji

危dangerous, fear, uneasy

Related words

危あぶないN5
危ない is the more common, everyday word for 'dangerous' and is used in a wider range of situations, while 危うい is slightly more literary and often emphasizes a precarious or unstable state rather than immediate physical danger.
危き険けんN4sense 1
危険 is a formal noun/adjectival-noun used to objectively label something as dangerous, while 危うい is a literary i-adjective that stresses a teetering, close-call quality.
不ふ安あん定ていN3sense 2
不安定 describes something literally unstable or fluctuating (like prices or footing), while 危うい in this sense adds a sense of impending failure or collapse to that instability.

Word family

危あやうくN1
barely; narrowly · almost; nearly

Written forms

危あやういUsage79%
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency word.
あやういUsage21%
Kana spelling is common in casual writing and when the kanji is not needed for clarity.
アヤウイUsage<1%

Etymology

Derived from the classical adjective 危ふし (あやふし), which itself comes from the root あや (uncertain, dangerous) + ふ (adjectival suffix). The modern form 危うい is the regular development from the classical 連体形.