Translation guide
How to express that something is not used effectively, is squandered, or goes to waste in Japanese.
To say that effort, time, money, or an opportunity was not used well and resulted in no benefit.
The most common way to say something becomes wasted or goes to waste. Used for effort, time, money, etc.
All that effort went to waste.
Time was wasted.
Transitive version: someone wastes something. Often used with a person as the subject.
He wasted the opportunity.
Literally 'end in vain effort'. More formal and literary, used when efforts yield no results.
His efforts ended in vain.
Idiom: 'to turn into bubbles on the water', meaning efforts come to nothing. Emotive.
All our hard work has gone down the drain.
To say that something tangible like food, water, or supplies is thrown away or not used.
Also used for physical waste. Very common.
It's a shame for food to go to waste.
Transitive: someone wastes food, water, etc.
You mustn't waste food.
Expresses regret that something is wasted. Often used as an exclamation. Culturally important concept.
To squander or waste resources, especially money or time. More formal than 無駄にする.
He squandered his salary.
Slang for being very drunk or under the influence of drugs.
To say that someone's ability is not being used to its full potential.
無駄になる is intransitive (something becomes wasted). 無駄にする is transitive (someone wastes something). Choose based on whether you want to emphasize the thing being wasted or the person doing the wasting.
The effort was wasted.
He wasted the effort.
When saying a person is wasted (intoxicated), never use 無駄. Use 酔っ払う or slang like ベロベロ. 無駄 refers to resources, not a person's state of drunkenness.
All my hard work was wasted.
Don't waste your time.
He got wasted at the party.
It's wasteful to throw it away when it's still edible.
昨日はベロベロになるまで飲んだ。
Yesterday I drank until I was wasted.
Idiom: 'a treasure rotting in one's hands', meaning unused talent or resources.
Not letting him do that job is a waste of his talent.