賢い・畏い|かしこいkashikoi[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. i-adjectivewise; clever; smart
   あなたは何なんと賢かしこい生徒せいとなのでしょう。↗

   What a clever student you are!
2. i-adjectivewell-behaved (esp. children and pets); obedient; good

• Synonym利口りこうNeutralVery close to 「賢い」; often said of bright, well-behaved children. 「賢い」 is more all-purpose and can also describe a wise choice or action.
• Synonym賢明けんめいWrittenWritten/formal: about wise judgement, typically of choices and decisions, as in 「賢明な判断」. 「賢い」 fits both people and actions.
• Synonym聡明そうめいWrittenLeans written; praises someone as intelligent and wise. Everyday talk tends to say 「賢い」.
• Synonym利根りこんWrittenWritten; refers to intelligence one is born with, innate cleverness. Everyday speech uses 「賢い」.
• SynonymインテリジェントWrittenLoanword, mostly for products and buildings, as in 「インテリジェントビル」. For people in daily speech, say 「賢い」.
• SynonymさといWrittenBookish: keen senses and a quick mind, as in 「利に聡い」; 「賢い」 is the broader, everyday word.
• Synonym怜悧れいりWrittenWritten; means sharp, quick-witted, with a slightly cool, austere nuance. In everyday speech 「賢い」 is used instead.
• Related英明えいめいFormalFormal; praises a ruler or leader as wise and enlightened. In daily life 「賢い」 is used.
• Related小賢しいこざかしいCasualColloquial and negative: showing off one's small cleverness, smart-alecky. 「賢い」 is mostly complimentary.
• Related抜け目ないぬけめないNeutralShrewd in a way that never loses out, often with a calculating edge. 「賢い」 is neutral to positive.
• Related抜け目のないぬけめのないNeutralSame meaning as 「抜け目ない」; the の-inserted form is common when directly modifying nouns. Carries the same calculating nuance.
• Related利発りはつWrittenLeans written; often praises children as bright and quick. In everyday talk 「賢い」 is the more usual word.
• Related明敏めいびんWrittenWritten; a keen, perceptive mind. In everyday speech you would say 「頭がいい」.
• Related穎悟えいごWrittenWritten and rare; means highly intelligent. 「賢い」 is the everyday word.
• Related明達めいたつFormalFormal and rare; describes someone who understands things well and judges soundly. Not used in everyday speech.
• Related慧敏けいびんWrittenWritten and rare; quick and accurate in judgement, a fast mind. Not used in daily conversation.
• Related穎敏えいびんWrittenWritten and rare; a quick, acute mind. Everyday speech uses 「賢い」.
• Related才気煥発さいきかんぱつWrittenA four-character idiom: brilliance and quick wit bursting out. 「賢い」 is a plainer word.
• Related小利口こりこうCasualColloquial and negative: small-time cleverness, cunningly grabbing small gains. 「賢い」 is mostly complimentary.
• Antonym愚かおろかWrittenThe opposite of 「賢い」 on the smart–stupid scale: foolish, stupid. Leans toward written style.
• AntonymばかCasualColloquial opposite of 「賢い」 on the smart–stupid scale; also hurled as an insult.

Default to 「賢い」 for cleverness or good behaviour, and for a wise course of action as in 「賢い選択」. For a bright, well-behaved child, 「利口」 also works; for a wise judgement or decision, 「賢明」; for shrewd, calculating people who never lose out, 「抜け目ない」; for showing off small cleverness, 「小賢しい」. Many synonyms such as 聡い, 聡明 and 利発 lean bookish, so in everyday talk 「賢い」 is usually the more natural pick. Antonyms: 「愚か」 (written) and 「馬鹿」 (colloquial).

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 頭あたまがいい。知恵ちえがある。脳のうの働はたらきが優すぐれている。
2. 要領ようりょうがいい。世渡よわたりがうまい。