Japanese word

詳しい

Pronunciation

Romajikuwashii

Meaning

  • i-adjectiveknowledgeable

Example

先生は日本の歴史に詳しいです。sen sei wa nihon no reki shi ni kuwa shi i de su

The teacher knows a lot about Japanese history.

Illustration for 詳しい (knowledgeable)

More examples

この説明書はとても詳しいです。ko no setsu mei sho wa to te mo kuwa shi i de su

This manual is very detailed.

Core concept

It describes knowing a subject in depth and covering its finer points.

Common phrases

  • 詳しい説明kuwa shi i setsu mei

    detailed explanation

  • 詳しい情報kuwa shi i jō hō

    detailed information

  • 詳しい人kuwa shi i hito

    knowledgeable person

Similar words

明るいakarui: Being well informed about a subject through knowledge or experience.

Definition in Japanese

ある事柄について細かな点までよく知っている、または内容が細部まで行き届いているさま。a ru koto gara ni tsu i te koma ka na ten ma de yo ku shi tte i ru ma ta wa nai yō ga sai bu ma de i ki todo i te i ru sa ma

Word origin

The native adjective 詳しい (kuwashii) continues the older form くはし (kuwashi), whose meanings included "fine" and "detailed"; the modern word applies these senses to knowledge and explanations.

Usage tips

  • When a speaker says 詳しい人 (kuwashī hito), the phrase commonly identifies someone with specialized knowledge of the topic being discussed.

Other meanings

  • detailedi-adjective

Opposites

  • 疎いutoiunfamiliar withi-adjective

Related words

  • 詳しさkuwashisalevel of detailnoun

Word lists with this word