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.
その服、ちょっと野暮ったくない？
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.
彼の無粋な発言で場がしらけた。
His inelegant remark killed the mood.
Means 'clumsy' or 'ungainly' in shape or form. Used for physical objects, movements, or designs that lack grace.
この椅子は不格好だけど座り心地はいい。
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.
その踊りは優雅ではなかった。
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.
彼のスピーチはぎこちなかった。
His speech was inelegant and awkward.
初めてのダンスはぎこちない動きだった。
My first dance had inelegant movements.
Means 'clumsy' or 'awkward with one's hands.' Often used for physical tasks, but can extend to social clumsiness.
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.
そのネクタイ、ダサくない？
Isn't that tie inelegant?
Literally 'bad taste.' Used for things that are gaudy, tacky, or show poor aesthetic judgment.
あの家の外装は趣味が悪い。
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).
そんな野暮なことは言わないで。
Don't say such inelegant things.
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.
そのプログラムは不細工なコードで書かれている。
The program is written with inelegant code.
Means 'unrefined' or 'not polished.' Suitable for describing methods, designs, or ideas that lack sophistication.
彼の提案はまだ洗練されていない。
His proposal is still inelegant.
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.
あのスーツは野暮ったい。
That suit is inelegant (dowdy).
その髪型、ダサいよ。
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.
部屋は野暮ったい感じに飾られていた。
The room was decorated in an inelegant style.
彼の不器用な対応で事態が悪化した。
His inelegant handling of the situation made things worse.
He is inelegant and often drops things.
Specifically for speech or writing that is halting, faltering, or lacking fluency. Often used for language learners.
彼の日本語はまだたどたどしい。
His Japanese is still inelegant and halting.
彼のやり方は泥臭いが、結果は出している。
His method is inelegant, but it gets results.