素晴らしい

Japanese

Kanji in this term
素 晴
す
Grade: 5
(ateji)
は > ば
Grade: 2
(ateji)
goon kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
素晴しい

Etymology

Originally derived from 窄(すば)る (subaru, “to shrink, to get smaller”, archaic) + しい (-shii, adjectivizing suffix evoking the quality of the suffixed term), from the sense of “that which makes one shrink away”. Compare verbs 窄まる (subomaru), 窄める (subomeru). The kanji spelling is an example of ateji (当て字).

The initial sense was strongly negative, and this usage continued until at least the mid-1800s in the Edo period, since when the meaning shifted to a strong positive instead.[1][2][3] Compare the development of English terrific, of strongly positive meanings, from terrify, of strongly negative meanings.

The modern kanji spelling could be considered an example of ateji (当て字).

Pronunciation

  • (Tokyo) すばらし​い [sùbáráshíꜜì] (Nakadaka – [4])[2]
  • IPA(key): [sɨᵝba̠ɾa̠ɕiː]
  • Tokyo pitch accent of inflected forms of "素晴らしい"
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Stem forms
Continuative (連用形) 素晴らしく すばら​しく
すばらし​く
[sùbáráꜜshìkù]
[sùbáráshíꜜkù]
Terminal (終止形) 素晴らしい すばらし​い [sùbáráshíꜜì]
Attributive (連体形) 素晴らしい すばらし​い [sùbáráshíꜜì]
Key constructions
Informal negative 素晴らしくない すばら​しくない
すばらし​くない
[sùbáráꜜshìkùnàì]
[sùbáráshíꜜkùnàì]
Informal past 素晴らしかった すばら​しかった
すばらし​かった
[sùbáráꜜshìkàttà]
[sùbáráshíꜜkàttà]
Informal negative past 素晴らしくなかった すばら​しくなかった
すばらし​くなかった
[sùbáráꜜshìkùnàkàttà]
[sùbáráshíꜜkùnàkàttà]
Formal 素晴らしいです すばらし​いです [sùbáráshíꜜìdèsù]
Conjunctive 素晴らしくて すばら​しくて
すばらし​くて
[sùbáráꜜshìkùtè]
[sùbáráshíꜜkùtè]
Conditional 素晴らしければ すばら​しければ
すばらし​ければ
[sùbáráꜜshìkèrèbà]
[sùbáráshíꜜkèrèbà]

Adjective

素(す)晴(ば)らしい • (subarashii) -i (adverbial 素(す)晴(ば)らしく (subarashiku))

  1. terrific, wonderful, splendid, grand, magnificent
  2. (obsolete) extreme, terrible

Inflection

Synonyms

Descendants

  • → Chinese: 斯巴拉西 (sībālāxī)

References

  1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典(新装版) [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
  2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. Matsumura, Akira (1995) 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
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