How to Say Scary in Japanese

Last Updated: August 10, 2021

The word "scary" can travel across many languages, as it's a term used to express fear of something, or communicate "hey, that's creepy!". However, it can be a tad difficult to know how to say it, especially with a more common, similar-sounding word that has a completely different meaning in the language! However, it's quick and easy, and you'll have it down in no time.

Steps

1
Know the word for "scary". In Japanese, the word for scary is kowai, pronounced as "ko-why". The word can be rendered in two ways: hiragana (こわい) and kanji (怖い). However, they're both read the same way.
- The term "kowai" literally translates to "frightening", as Japanese is much more formal than English. However, the meaning still comes off as the same.
2
Pronounce the word properly. Japanese words often rely on which part of the word is emphasized to show what word it is. When speaking Japanese, pronounce "kowai" as "koh-WHY", with the emphasis on the "why".

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3
Be aware of a similar word. In Japanese, the term "kowai" can be mistaken for "kawaii", pronounced as "KA-why-ee". However, these are two completely different words; the term "kawaii", written as かわいい (or less commonly, 可愛い), describes the concept of something being cute. It's also pronounced with more emphasis on the beginning of the word, rather than the end. Be careful not to mix these two up.
4
Learn a few sentences with the word "kowai". To learn how the word "kowai" is integrated into Japanese sentences, you may want to learn a few sentences. However, this may be a bit easier if you learn Japanese grammar and sentence structure all at once, rather than just focusing on one word.
- The most common phrase you'll probably hear in Japanese media is 「怖いです！」(kowai des!). It's a simple version of Scary! or That's scary!