Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Bad" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "bad", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
悪い
わるい (warui)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
わるい
悪い (warui)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "bad" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 悪い and わるい.
In Japanese, 悪い (わるい (warui)) is typically associated with "bad, wrong" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents Describes something negative, poor quality, or incorrect. Can also be used to apologize informally.
On the other hand, わるい (悪い (warui)) maps to "bad, evil, wrong" (Syllabus Level: N5) and represents A general i-adjective for "bad". A literal translation of "bad" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "悪い"
天気が悪いです。
The weather is bad.
Bilingual Context for "わるい"
今日は天気が悪いです。
The weather is bad today.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "天気が ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "The weather is bad.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "悪い" fits here because it means "bad, wrong" in the context of: "The weather is bad.". "わるい" represents "bad, evil, wrong".