Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Bad" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "bad", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
わるい
悪い (warui)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
不運
ふうん (fuun)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "bad" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between わるい and 不運.
In Japanese, わるい (悪い (warui)) is typically associated with "bad, evil, wrong" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents A general i-adjective for "bad".
On the other hand, 不運 (ふうん (fuun)) maps to "bad luck, misfortune" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents 予期せぬ悪い出来事や、自分の意図しないところで生じる不幸な状況を指します。形容動詞「不運な. A literal translation of "bad" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "わるい"
今日は天気が悪いです。
The weather is bad today.
Bilingual Context for "不運"
彼は不運にも事故に巻き込まれてしまった。
He unfortunately got caught up in an accident.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "今日は天気が悪いです。" (Meaning: "The weather is bad today.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "わるい" fits here because it means "bad, evil, wrong" in the context of: "The weather is bad today.". "不運" represents "bad luck, misfortune".