偉い
의미: 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.
예문
- 朝5時に起きて勉強してるの？偉いね！ 早上五点就起来学习？好厉害！¿Te levantas a las cinco a estudiar? ¡Qué mérito!아침 5시에 일어나서 공부해? 偉い네!
- ちゃんと自炊してるんだ、偉い！ 居然在自己做饭，真了不起！¿Cocinas tú mismo? ¡Qué bien!직접 요리하고 있구나, 偉い!
- 毎日ジョギング続けてるの偉いよ。 每天坚持跑步，好厉害。Es admirable que sigas saliendo a correr todos los días.매일 조깅 계속하는 거 偉い.
발음
/e.ra.i/
사용 가이드
맥락: friends, social media, family
어조: encouraging, warm
✓ 올바른 표현
- 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.)休息日还在学习，真厉害。（休息天还在学习，太了不起了。）¿Estudiando incluso en tu día libre? Eso es admirable.쉬는 날에도 공부하다니 偉い네. (쉬는 날에도 공부하다니 대단하다.)
- 偉い！自分を褒めてあげて。 (Good job! Give yourself some praise.)好厉害！好好夸夸自己吧。（干得好！要好好表扬一下自己。）¡Qué bien! Date una palmadita en la espalda.偉い! 스스로를 칭찬해줘. (잘했어! 스스로를 칭찬해.)
✗ 잘못된 표현
- 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)对上司说'偉いですね'是失礼的（对上司说'真了不起'是不礼貌的——这会让人觉得你在评判对方）Decirle «erai desu ne» a tu jefe es una falta de respeto: te posiciona como quien lo evalúa.상사에게 「偉いですね」는 실례이다 (상사에게 '偉いですね'라고 하면 실례가 된다 — 자신이 상대를 평가하는 입장이 되기 때문이다)
흔한 실수
- 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
기원과 역사
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.
문화적 배경
Era: Long-established casual usage
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal informal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. In Kansai, 偉い can also mean 'tough/tiring' — but this 'praise' usage is universal.
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