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How to Say ‘That was close, wasn't it?’ in Japanese

危なかったですね。

abunakatsu ta desu ne

[ah-boo-nah-KAHT tah desu neh]

💬 Usage Tip: 危ない "dangerous" drops its final い and adds かった to talk about the past, giving "that was dangerous". The same change works on other describing words that end in い: 高い becomes 高かった "it was expensive".

Phrase Breakdown

危なかっ

abunakatsu

[ah-boo-nah-KAHT]

dangerous (past stem); close call

Past stem of 危ない 'dangerous'; 危なかった means 'that was close'.

Example

車にぶつかりそうで危なかった。

I almost got hit by a car; that was close.

た

ta

[tah]

past tense marker

Indicates past tense.

Example

彼は来た。

He came.

です

desu

[desu]

is; polite ending

A polite sentence ending often used to soften statements.

Example

キャンセルしたいです。

I want to cancel.

ね

ne

[neh]

isn't it?; right?

A sentence-ending particle used to seek agreement or add warmth.

Example

すばらしい経験ですね。

That's wonderful experience, isn't it?

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