Translation guide
How to express that something is done poorly, severely, or in an undesirable way.
Describing an action done with low quality or skill.
Adverbial form of 下手 (unskillful). Used when someone does something poorly due to lack of skill.
He plays the guitar badly.
Adverbial form of まずい (bad, unskillful, awkward). Often used for cooking or handling situations poorly.
She cooked the meal badly.
Adverbial form of 悪い (bad). General term for doing something in a bad way, but less common for skill; more for results or conditions.
I did badly on the exam.
Indicating a high degree of negative impact or intensity.
Adverbial form of ひどい (terrible, severe). Used for serious damage, injury, or emotional states.
He was badly injured in the accident.
Means 'greatly' or 'very much'. Can be used for being badly mistaken or affected, but slightly formal.
Means 'considerably' or 'quite'. Used to emphasize degree, often with negative adjectives.
Describing a situation that turns out poorly or goes wrong.
Expressing a strong want or requirement.
Feeling bad about one's actions.
While 悪く (waruku) can mean 'badly', it is not always natural. For skill, use 下手に (heta ni) or まずく (mazuku). For severity, use ひどく (hidoku). Overusing 悪く may sound awkward.
He speaks English badly. (unnatural)
He speaks English badly. (natural)
私は大いに間違えた。
I was badly mistaken.
He is badly drunk.
I want to see him badly.
I feel badly about it.