How to say "safe" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 大丈夫だいじょうぶna-adjectiveCovers 'safe' meaning unharmed, secure or problem-free: checking whether someone is unhurt, reassuring them, or saying that a situation or plan involves no trouble. It also stands alone as a reassuring reply.彼女は今のところ大丈夫です。↗She is all right at the moment.
- 金庫きんこnoun'Safe' as a thing, not a state: a strong, lockable box, strongbox or vault for money and valuables. If you mean the container itself, this is the word; the others describe safety, not an object.
- nounA loanword chiefly for sport — a baseball runner is called safe rather than out — and for casual judgments like 'that counts'; for being free of danger it is seldom what you want.
- 無難ぶなんna-adjective, nounSafe as in a safe choice, answer or option: one unlikely to fail, offend or draw criticism. It often carries a shade of the unadventurous — safe precisely because it stands out least.
- 危なげないあぶなげないi-adjectiveDescribes an action, performance or manner that shows no hint of danger or slip-ups — safe and certain, with an air of assurance. It judges how something is done, not whether someone has escaped harm.
For freedom from danger or trouble use 大丈夫, for the cash box or vault 金庫, for sports calls 「セーフ」, for an unobjectionable choice 無難, and for an assured, slip-free performance 「危なげない」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- 大丈夫だいじょうぶsafe
- 金庫きんこsafe
- セーフsafe
- 無難ぶなんsafe (e.g. choice)
- 危なげないあぶなげないsafe
- 手堅いてがたいsound
- 確実かくじつcertain
- 堅実けんじつsteady
- 保管庫ほかんこsafe
- つつがないwell
- 当たり障りのないあたりさわりのないharmless (remark, topic, etc.)
- 害のないがいのないharmless
- 金櫃きんきmetal box
- なんともないit's no big deal
- セーフティボックス(hotel room) safe
- ただunaffected
- 確かたしかreliable
- 無風むふうquiet (state of affairs)
- 全いまったいsafe
- ドル箱ドルばこcash box
- 大事だいじsafe
- 硬いかたいsafe
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
