Daijoubu (大丈夫): what it means in anime
大丈夫
だいじょうぶ · daijoubu
Daijoubu means "okay" or "all right". Ask 大丈夫？ and you mean "Are you okay?"; say it in reply and you mean "I’m fine". It can also be a gentle "no thanks", a use that often confuses learners.
もう大丈夫だ 少年
It's all right now, young man.
All Might, My Hero AcademiaWord by word
| 大丈夫 | だいじょうぶ | safe, all right, fine (a na-adjective) |
| だ | だ | casual "is" |
| です | です | polite "is": 大丈夫です |
Asking, reassuring and saying no
If you trip or seem upset or pale, someone might ask 大丈夫？ (casual) or 大丈夫ですか？ (polite).
大丈夫だ and 大丈夫だよ reassure someone: "It’s fine, don’t worry." Anime heroes say this just before putting things right, which helped make All Might’s line above so famous.
In a shop or an everyday conversation, 大丈夫です often means "I’m good, no thanks". You might say it when a cashier offers you a bag.
Gojo’s boast
Satoru Gojo turns the same phrase into a boast in Jujutsu Kaisen: 大丈夫 僕 最強だから, "Relax, I’m the strongest."
More examples
- 大丈夫？ けがはない？ daijoubu? kega wa nai? — Are you okay? Are you hurt?
- 袋は大丈夫です。 fukuro wa daijoubu desu. — I don't need a bag, thanks.
Hear it in real scenes
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