Quadruple VS
Synonym Boundary: "悪い", "不良", "不調", "悪癖"
All represent the core concept "bad", but require precise selection.
Japanese Option A
悪い
わるい (warui)
N5 / CEFR
Japanese Option B
不良
ふりょう (furyō)
N3 / CEFR
Japanese Option C
不調
ふちょう (fuchou)
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 "悪い", "不良", "不調", "悪癖" based on context.
- 悪い (わるい (warui) - Level: N5): Maps to "bad, wrong" and is used when Describes something negative, poor quality, or incorrect. Can also be used to apologize informally.
- 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.
- 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 "悪い"
天気が悪いです。
The weather is bad.
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 "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: "天気が ＿＿＿ です。" (Meaning: "The weather is bad.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "悪い" is correct here because it represents "bad, wrong" in the context: "The weather is bad.".