遅い vs 晩い
Japanese word comparison
Listen to 遅い
Listen to 晩い
| 遅い | 晩い |
|---|---|
O-soi adjective | おそい adjective |
| slow; late | late; tardy; happening at a late time |
How they differ
晩い is a less common variant that also means late, but it is used mainly in fixed or literary expressions. In modern everyday Japanese, 遅い is overwhelmingly preferred, while 晩い sounds old-fashioned or stylistically marked.
When to use each
When to use 遅い: Use 遅い in normal modern Japanese for everyday speech and writing.
When to use 晩い: Use 晩い only in set phrases, older style writing, or when you want an archaic flavor.
Side-by-side examples
- 今日は帰るのが遅い。
(I’m getting home late today.) - 夜の晩い時刻に彼は来た。
(He came at a late hour at night.)
Register & nuance: 晩い is archaic or literary, while 遅い is the standard everyday word.