怖い
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Base i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes something that causes fear or is frightening.
Theme
During a late-night movie night, User and their roommate Akira discuss horror films they've watched recently.
怖い
こわい
scary / frightening
Core Language Building BlocksCore Adjectives
Memory Hook
Imagine a ghost saying 'Boo!' and you feel scared. 'Boo' sounds like the start of 『怖い』 (kowai, 'scary'). 'Boo' → 怖い (kowai, 'scary').
Cultural Note
In Japanese horror movies and stories, characters often exclaim 『怖い！』 (kowai!, 'scary!') when encountering ghosts or monsters. This word is commonly used to express fear in everyday situations, like watching a scary movie or hearing a spooky sound.
Forms
Base: 怖いBase i-adjective form ending in 『い』. Describes something that causes fear or is frightening.
Negative: 怖くないDrop 『い』 → add 『くない』 (kunai, negative) → 『怖くない』 (kowakunai).
Past: 怖かったDrop 『い』 → add 『かった』 (katta, past) → 『怖かった』 (kowakatta).
Adverbial: 怖くDrop 『い』 → add 『く』 (ku, adverbial) → 『怖く』 (kowaku).
Comparative: より怖いComparative formed with modifier 『より』 (yori, 'more than') + base adjective.
Superlative: 一番怖いSuperlative formed with 『一番』 (ichiban, 'number one / Most') + adjective.