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怖い (こわい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

怖こわい

こ

わ

い

Common wordJLPTN4Freq.FrequencyTop 500

Meanings

1

i-adjective

scary; frightening; eerie; dreadful

Describes something that causes fear or unease; can be used for physical threats, supernatural things, or abstract dread.

あの映えい画がはとても怖こわかった。
That movie was really scary.
夜よるの森もり

は

怖こわ

い

。

The forest at night is frightening.

地じ震しんが怖こわいです。

I'm scared of earthquakes.

Written forms

怖こわいUsage72%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
こわいUsage16%
Kana spelling, often used in casual writing or when the kanji is not needed.
恐こわいUsage10%
Alternate kanji spelling, also common but less frequent than 怖い.
コワイUsage1%

Kanji

怖dreadful, be frightened, fearful
恐fear, dread, awe

Similar words

恐おそろしい
恐ろしい is more intense and formal than 怖い, often implying a deeper, more profound fear or horror.
怖こわがる
怖がる is the verb meaning 'to be scared' or 'to show fear', often used to describe someone else's fear.

Etymology

The word こわい is a native Japanese adjective. The kanji 怖 and 恐 both convey fear, with 怖 often used for more immediate or personal fear, while 恐 can imply a broader sense of dread or awe. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.