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.
せっかくの努力が無駄になった。
All that effort went to waste.
Time was wasted.
Transitive version: someone wastes something. Often used with a person as the subject.
彼はチャンスを無駄にした。
He wasted the opportunity.
Literally 'end in vain effort'. More formal and literary, used when efforts yield no results.
彼の努力は徒労に終わった。
His efforts ended in vain.
Idiom: 'to turn into bubbles on the water', meaning efforts come to nothing. Emotive.
これまでの苦労が水の泡になった。
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.
食べ物が無駄になるのはもったいない。
It's a shame for food to go to waste.
Transitive: someone wastes food, water, etc.
食べ物を無駄にしてはいけない。
You mustn't waste food.
To squander or waste resources, especially money or time. More formal than 無駄にする.
彼は給料を無駄に浪費した。
He squandered his salary.
Slang for being very drunk or under the influence of drugs.
To get drunk. The standard term.
彼は完全に酔っ払っていた。
He was completely wasted.
Onomatopoeic slang for being very drunk, 'wasted'.
To be dead drunk, heavily intoxicated. More formal or literary.
彼は泥酔して道で寝ていた。
He was so wasted he slept on the street.
To say that someone's ability is not being used to its full potential.
Talent goes to waste.
彼の才能が無駄になっている。
His talent is being wasted.
Idiom: 'a treasure rotting in one's hands', meaning unused talent or resources.
彼にその仕事をさせないのは宝の持ち腐れだ。
Not letting him do that job is a waste of his talent.
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.
努力が無駄になった。
The effort was wasted.
彼は努力を無駄にした。
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.
私の努力はすべて無駄になった。
All my hard work was wasted.
時間を無駄にするな。
Don't waste your time.
彼はパーティーで酔っ払った。
He got wasted at the party.
Expresses regret that something is wasted. Often used as an exclamation. Culturally important concept.
まだ食べられるのに捨てるのはもったいない。
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.