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Quadruple VS

Synonym Boundary: "わるい", "不調", "不運", "凶作"

All represent the core concept "bad", but require precise selection.

Japanese Option A

わるい

悪い (warui)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B

不調

ふちょう (fuchou)
N2 / CEFR
Japanese Option C

不運

ふうん (fuun)
N2 / CEFR
Japanese Option D

凶作

きょうさく (kyōsaku)
N2 / CEFR

Quadruple VS Nuance Contrast & Social Differences

When expressing "bad" in Japanese, you must carefully distinguish between "わるい", "不調", "不運", "凶作" 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".
  • 不調 (ふちょう (fuchou) - Level: N2): Maps to "bad condition, poor form, out of order, discord" and is used when Refers to a poor physical or mental condition.
  • 不運 (ふうん (fuun) - Level: N2): Maps to "bad luck, misfortune" and is used when 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.
  • 凶作 (きょうさく (kyōsaku) - Level: N2): Maps to "bad harvest, poor crop, crop failure" and is used when Refers to a poor agricultural yield due to unfavorable weather, disease, or other factors, indicating a severe reduction in harvest..
Mixing these up can easily lead to unnatural translations. Refer to the bilingual context cards below to master the boundaries!
Context for "わるい"
今日は天気が悪いです。
The weather is bad today.
Context for "不調"
最近、体の不調が続いていて病院に行った。
I've been feeling unwell lately, so I went to the hospital.
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.
Context for "凶作"
今年は長雨のせいで米が凶作だった。
This year, the rice crop was poor due to the long rain.

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.".

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