Translation guide
How to express that something lacks elegance, grace, or refinement in Japanese. The best choice depends on whether you're describing appearance, behavior, writing, or design.
Describe something as not elegant, refined, or tasteful in a broad sense.
Commonly used for things that are unfashionable, dowdy, or lacking in sophistication. Often used for clothes, appearance, or behavior.
Isn't that outfit a bit inelegant?
Literally 'lacking in refinement or taste.' Often used for actions or remarks that spoil the atmosphere or are tactless.
His inelegant remark killed the mood.
Means 'clumsy' or 'ungainly' in shape or form. Used for physical objects, movements, or designs that lack grace.
This chair is inelegant but comfortable to sit on.
A direct negation of 'elegant' (優雅). It's grammatically correct but sounds blunt and is rarely used in natural conversation.
This is a literal translation and can sound unnatural. Prefer other options.
The dance was not elegant.
Describe a person's physical actions or way of speaking as lacking smoothness or grace.
Describes movements, speech, or social interactions that are awkward, stiff, or lacking natural flow.
His speech was inelegant and awkward.
Means 'clumsy' or 'awkward with one's hands.' Often used for physical tasks, but can extend to social clumsiness.
Specifically for speech or writing that is halting, faltering, or lacking fluency. Often used for language learners.
Describe something as visually unappealing, gaudy, or in poor taste.
Slang for 'uncool,' 'lame,' or 'tacky.' Very common in casual speech for fashion, design, or behavior.
Isn't that tie inelegant?
Literally 'bad taste.' Used for things that are gaudy, tacky, or show poor aesthetic judgment.
The exterior of that house is inelegant.
A noun meaning 'boorishness' or 'lack of refinement.' Often used in set phrases like 野暮な質問 (a tactless question).
Describe a solution, method, or design that is not clever or efficient, but rather clumsy or makeshift.
While often used for unattractive appearance, it can also describe a clumsy or poorly executed method or result.
The program is written with inelegant code.
Means 'unrefined' or 'not polished.' Suitable for describing methods, designs, or ideas that lack sophistication.
Literally 'smelling of mud,' meaning unrefined, rough-and-ready, or lacking polish. Often used for methods or approaches that are crude but effective.
Both mean unfashionable or inelegant, but 野暮ったい implies a more old-fashioned, dowdy lack of sophistication, while ダサい is a stronger, more casual 'uncool' or 'lame.' ダサい is common among younger speakers.
That suit is inelegant (dowdy).
That hairstyle is so inelegant (lame).
Direct translations like 優雅でない or エレガントでない are rarely used and sound unnatural. Choose a more specific word based on the context.
The room was decorated in an inelegant style.
His inelegant handling of the situation made things worse.
My first dance had inelegant movements.
彼は不器用で、よく物を落とす。
He is inelegant and often drops things.
His Japanese is still inelegant and halting.
Don't say such inelegant things.
His proposal is still inelegant.
His method is inelegant, but it gets results.