偉い

• 読み: えらい
• ローマ字: erai
• 漢字の分解: 偉 (great, admirable) — single kanji meaning eminent or worthy of praise
• 発音: /e.ra.i/

意味

Great job or well done — a compliment praising someone's effort, discipline, or good behaviour.

While the dictionary meaning of 偉い is 'great' or 'eminent,' in casual conversation it functions as a way to praise effort and discipline. Saying 偉い to a friend who wakes up early, cooks their own meals, or keeps exercising is like saying 'good for you!' or 'that's admirable!' It has a warm, encouraging tone. Used extensively between friends and on social media as positive reinforcement.

例文

1. 朝5時に起きて勉強してるの？偉いね！
2. ちゃんと自炊してるんだ、偉い！
3. 毎日ジョギング続けてるの偉いよ。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, social media, family

トーン: encouraging, warm

正しい言い方

• 休みの日も勉強してるなんて偉いね。 (Studying even on your days off, that's so admirable.)
• 偉い！自分を褒めてあげて。 (Good job! Give yourself some praise.)

避ける言い方

• 上司に「偉いですね」は失礼 (Saying 'erai desu ne' to your boss is rude — it positions you as the one evaluating them)

よくある間違い

• Using 偉い to praise a superior — it sounds condescending because it implies you are in a position to evaluate them
• Confusing the 'great person' meaning with the 'good job' meaning — context makes it clear

起源と歴史

The standard meaning of 偉い is 'great/eminent' (偉大). The casual usage as praise for everyday effort evolved naturally as friends started using it to encourage each other for mundane but disciplined actions. This encouraging usage has been common for decades.

文化的背景

時代: Long-established casual usage

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal informal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. In Kansai, 偉い can also mean 'tough/tiring' — but this 'praise' usage is universal.