賢い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 賢い | 賢くない |
| Polite | 賢いです | 賢くないですalso 賢くありません |
| Past polite | 賢かったです | 賢くなかったですalso 賢くありませんでした |
| Past | 賢かった | 賢くなかった |
| Te-form | 賢くて | 賢くなくて |
| Adverbial | 賢く | |
| Conditional | 賢ければ | 賢くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 賢かったら | 賢くなかったら |
Describes a person, animal, or decision that shows intelligence, good judgment, or practical cleverness.
He is a very clever student.
A smart dog learns tricks quickly.
Used especially for children and pets who are quiet, obedient, or not causing trouble. Often heard in Kansai dialect and in child-directed speech.
My child was well-behaved all day today.
That's a quiet and well-behaved cat, isn't it.
He judged the difficult situation wisely.
Be a good girl while Mom goes shopping, okay?
I think choosing to get a job rather than continue studying is the smart choice.
Dolphins are very intelligent animals.
賢い is the everyday, general word for smart or clever, while 賢明 is a more formal term used to praise a specific prudent decision or attitude.
賢い is the everyday i-adjective for 'smart' or 'wise', while 利根 is a rarer na-adjective with a more literary, technical flavor.
賢い describes something as smart or sensible, the direct opposite of 馬鹿げる, which describes something as foolish or absurd.
賢い means clever or wise, the opposite of めでたい's second sense of being naive or gullible.
賢い means clever or quick-witted, contrasting with のろい's sense of being thickheaded or slow to understand.
賢い means smart or wise in a general sense, contrasting with 間抜け's meaning of foolish or lacking common sense.
賢い describes someone clever and perceptive, the opposite of おめでたい's ironic sense of being naive or easily fooled.