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すごい wonderful and terrible?

Forum Index » 一緒に勉強しましょう! [Let's study together!] »
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すごい wonderful and terrible?

Member Since
13 Jun, 2018
Location
Japan
Number of Posts
132

こんにちは。

So can someone explain how to differentiate the meaning of すごい?

凄い this kanji would indicate the negative meaning, so is it just that, Hiragana means terrific and with kanji terrible?

Individualism is overrated.

#1 Posted by Yog-Sothoth over 5 years ago
Member Since
21 Jul, 2012
Location
Sydney, Australia
Number of Posts
341

It's really from the context that you can tell.  The meaning for it can be summarised as just "extremely", but it is used in those two contexts.  I think the kanji for すごい is rarely used.

If I look in a Japanese dictionary, there is two basic meanings for it:

1) Used to describe something that is so scary or creepy that you will shiver

Example:

すごい・目・で・にらむ
To glare with extremely creepy eyes

2) Something that is surprisingly excessive or rare.  Extreme.

Examples

すごい・人気
Unusually popular

すごい・プレー
Wonderful Play

すごい・秀才
Rare prodigy

すごい・散らかりよう
To appear excessively disordered

#2 Posted by flint over 5 years ago
Member Since
13 Jun, 2018
Location
Japan
Number of Posts
132

そうですか。ありがとうございます。

It's another example where trying to translate just doesn't work. Till now I only heard it in the positive sense, in cases where it's basically a stronger expression but akin to いいです, so I was confused when I looked it up and the dictionary came up with these two meanings, along with that 凄 kanji.

Individualism is overrated.

#3 Posted by Yog-Sothoth over 5 years ago

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