危ない（あぶない、abunai）
- dangerous

The Japanese word 危ない （あぶない） primarily means "dangerous," "risky," "unsafe," or "in danger." It can describe a situation, a person, or an action that poses a threat of harm. It expresses a sense of caution, warning, or a close call. Furthermore, it can also express a feeling of relief when a dangerous situation is avoided. 危ない危ない can also be used as an interjection to exclaim surprise, shock, or a near miss.

⚫︎ 道が危ないから、気をつけて歩いてください。 Translation: The road is dangerous, so please be careful when you walk. ⚫︎ あの車は運転が危ない。 Translation: That car's driving is dangerous. ⚫︎ 危ない！落ちるところだった。 Translation: Dangerous! I almost fell.

⚫︎ 危ない危ない is used in various contexts. ⚫︎ You can use it to warn someone of danger, e.g., 危ない！車が来るよ！ (Dangerous! A car is coming!). ⚫︎ You can use it to describe a dangerous situation, e.g., この橋は危ない。 (This bridge is dangerous.) ⚫︎ You can use it to express that something is risky, e.g., それは危ない賭けだ。 (That's a risky gamble.) ⚫︎ As an interjection, 危ない危ない can be used when something almost happens, often with a sense of relief or surprise. ⚫︎ Depending on the context, 危ない危ない can be used both formally and informally.

⚫︎ 危ない危ない is typically written in hiragana as あぶない. ⚫︎ The kanji form is 危ない. ⚫︎ There are no significant variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ 危険（きけん） (kiken) - danger, risk; a more formal word. ⚫︎ 怖い（こわい） (kowai) - scary, frightening; emphasizes fear. ⚫︎ 危惧（きぐ） (kigu) - anxiety, fear; often used for a more abstract sense of danger.

⚫︎ 安全（あんぜん） (anzen) - safe, safety. ⚫︎ 大丈夫（だいじょうぶ） (daijoubu) - okay, alright, safe.

急に飛び出すのは危ないよ。 ・Translation: It's dangerous to suddenly run out. ・Explanation: This sentence warns someone about the danger of running out suddenly, likely into a street or other risky area.

危ないところだった。もう少しで事故を起こすところだった。 ・Translation: That was close. I almost had an accident. ・Explanation: This expresses relief after narrowly avoiding a dangerous situation.

The kanji 危 (あや-うい, あぶ-ない, etc.) means "dangerous," "to be in danger," or "to worry." The word 危ない危ない comes from combining this kanji with a verb or adjective ending that gives it the sense of being dangerous or risky. The specific origins are hard to ascertain definitively, but it clearly relates to the meaning of 危.