危

Danger, Risk

あぶない (abunai), あやうい (ayaui)

JLPT N3

Interesting Fact

Japanese has an interesting distinction between 危険 (きけん) and 危ない (あぶない). 危険 sounds more formal and objective, so you'll encounter it in warning signs, instructions, and official contexts. 危ない is much more conversational and can be shouted when someone is about to get hurt: “Watch out!”

Memory Trick

A person is sitting on the edge of a tall platform, but their chair is about to slip away. They're desperately trying to balance before falling—one wrong move and they're in serious trouble! That's 危!