危うい

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The i-adjective 危うい (あやうい) describes danger and, in adverbial form, an event that nearly happened.
• Basic usage: 渡るのが危うい evaluates a risky action, while 危うく落ちるところだった means almost falling.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Danger and a narrowly avoided event
  • The basic adjective describes danger, while the adverbial form can mark an adverse event that nearly occurred.