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
下手
へた (heta)
A1 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "bad" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 悪い and 下手.
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, 下手 (へた (heta)) maps to "bad at" (Syllabus Level: A1) and represents Essential structural term in CEFR A1 vocabulary syllabus.. 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 "下手"
私は下手に興味があります。
I am interested in bad at.
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.". "下手" represents "bad at".