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
不作
ふさく (fusaku)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "bad" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 悪い and 不作.
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, 不作 (ふさく (fusaku)) maps to "bad harvest, crop failure" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents 主に農業において、作物の収穫が少ないことや全くできないことを指します。比喩的に、成果が上がらない期間を指すこともあります。. 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 "不作"
今年は雨が少なかったので、米が不作だった。
This year, there was little rain, so the rice harvest was poor.
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.". "不作" represents "bad harvest, crop failure".