What does 偉い mean?
偉い is a Japanese adjective meaning “great, celebrated, remarkable,” in English. It can also be translated as “distinguished, awful, tiring” depending on context. It is written as 偉い in kanji, えらい in hiragana, and erai in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N2 vocabulary.
Example sentences
私はあの人が将来偉くなると見取った。
I discerned the potential of great things in him.
あの偉い坊さんを見ろよ。
Look at the big shot.
妻はアメリカでの新しい生活のリズムに慣れるのにえらい苦労した。
My wife had a hard time getting into the swing of our new life in America.