Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "わるい", "不良", "不作法", "悪癖"
All represent the core concept "bad", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
わるい
悪い (warui)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
不良
ふりょう (furyō)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
不作法
ぶさほう (busahō)
N2 / CEFR
Japanese Option D
悪癖
あくへき (akuheki)
N2 / CEFR
Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
When expressing "bad" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "わるい", "不良", "不作法", "悪癖" based on context.
- わるい (悪い (warui) - Level: N5): Maps to "bad, evil, wrong" and is used when A general i-adjective for "bad".
- 不良 (ふりょう (furyō) - Level: N3): Maps to "bad, poor (quality); delinquent (person); defect" and is used when Can be a noun meaning a defect or a delinquent person.
- 不作法 (ぶさほう (busahō) - Level: N2): Maps to "bad manners, impoliteness, rudeness" and is used when 社会的な場面でのマナーや礼儀が欠けている行為や態度を指します。相手に失礼な印象を与えることがあります。.
- 悪癖 (あくへき (akuheki) - Level: N2): Maps to "bad habit, vice" and is used when A specific term for a harmful or undesirable habit that is often difficult to break, such as smoking, nail-biting, or procrastination..
Context for "わるい"
今日は天気が悪いです。
The weather is bad today.
Context for "不良"
この製品には不良がありました。
This product had a defect.
Context for "不作法"
食事中に携帯電話をいじるのは不作法だ。
Playing with your cell phone during a meal is bad manners.
Context for "悪癖"
彼は早起きできないという悪癖がある。
He has a bad habit of not being able to wake up early.
Synonym Mastery Challenge
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" is correct here because it represents "bad, evil, wrong" in the context: "The weather is bad today.".