# やばい
## Japanese
### Alternative forms

* (informal) やべえ (yabē)
* (slang) ヤヴァい (yavai)

### Etymology

* Alternative spellings
* ヤバい ヤバイ
Originally a slang term used in the criminal underworld, used to indicate that the police were getting close. First cited to a cant dictionary from 1892.
Derived as a shift to an -i adjective of older -na adjective やば (yaba, “illegal, dangerous, uneasy, not going well”), itself a slang term of uncertain derivation that appears in sources from the late 1700s.
Possibly related to the ayabu- stem in 危ぶむ (ayabumu, “to fear something, to view something as dangerous”), and the ayau- stem in 危うい (ayaui, “dangerous”, ancient reading ayafui).

### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) やばい [yàbáꜜì] (Nakadaka –)
* IPA: [ja̠ba̠i]

### Adjective

やばい • (yabai) -i (adverbial やばく (yabaku))
* (colloquial) dangerous, risky
* (colloquial) risque, off-color, vulgar
* (colloquial) highly concerning (in a negative way)
    ちゃんとしなきゃやべぇことになるぞ。
       Chanto shinakya yabē koto ni naru zo.
       If you don't do it like you should, shit's gonna be bad, man.
    あいつやばいなぁ。
       Aitsu yabai nā.
       What's up with them? Yikes.
    僕(ぼく)やばいかも。
       Boku yabai kamo.
       I might be screwed.
* (slang) very good, awesome, crazy, sick, wild
    これやばくね？
       Kore yabakune?
       Isn't this crazy?
    あの子(こ)の制(せい)服(ふく)姿(すがた)がヤバすぎる
       ano ko no seifuku-sugata ga yabasugiru
       that girl looks way too amazing in sailor uniforms
       (literally, “the sailor uniform appearance of that girl is too awesome”)

#### Inflection

Stem forms :
| Imperfective (未然形) | やばかろ | yabakaro |
| Continuative (連用形) | やばく | yabaku |
| Terminal (終止形) | やばい | yabai |
| Attributive (連体形) | やばい | yabai |
| Hypothetical (仮定形) | やばけれ | yabakere |
| Imperative (命令形) | やばかれ | yabakare |
| Key constructions ||||
| Informal negative | やばくない | yabaku nai |
| Informal past | やばかった | yabakatta |
| Informal negative past | やばくなかった | yabaku nakatta |
| Formal | やばいです | yabai desu |
| Formal negative | やばくないです | yabaku nai desu |
| Formal past | やばかったです | yabakatta desu |
| Formal negative past | やばくなかったです | yabaku nakatta desu |
| Conjunctive | やばくて | yabakute |
| Conditional | やばければ | yabakereba |
| Provisional | やばかったら | yabakattara |
| Volitional | やばかろう | yabakarō |
| Adverbial | やばく | yabaku |
| Degree | やばさ | yabasa |

### Interjection

やばい • (yabai)
* oh no, crap

#### Descendants

* Chinese:
    → Mandarin: 牙白 (yábái)

### See also

* 大(たい)変(へん) (taihen)
* すごい (sugoi)
* まじ卍(まんじ) (majimanji)

### References

* 1 2 3 4 Nihon Kokugo Daijiten Dai-ni-han Henshū I'inkai (日本国語大辞典第二版編集委員会) (2001-2002) 日本国語大辞典　第二版 [Unabridged Japanese Dictionary: Second Edition], Tokyo (東京都): Shōgakukan (小学館), →ISBN
* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
* 1 2 Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* ↑ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

### Further reading

* Etymology at Gogen-Allguide (in Japanese)