Translation guide
Expressing that a plan is bad, ill-conceived, or unlikely to succeed. Japanese offers several common adjectives and phrases depending on the nuance: unrealistic, poorly thought out, reckless, or simply bad.
General expression for a plan that is not good, not well considered, or likely to fail.
A straightforward and common way to say a plan is bad or poorly thought out. まずい means 'bad' or 'unwise' in this context.
それはまずい計画だと思う。
I think that's a poor plan.
Implies the plan is clumsy or poorly executed. 下手 means 'unskillful' or 'poorly done'.
彼の下手な計画のせいで失敗した。
We failed because of his poor plan.
Literally 'bad plan'. Simple and direct, but slightly less natural than まずい計画 for abstract plans.
悪い計画は早めにやめたほうがいい。
You should abandon a poor plan early.
A plan that is not grounded in reality, too idealistic, or impossible to carry out.
Means 'unrealistic plan'. Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts.
その計画は非現実的だ。
That plan is unrealistic.
Idiom meaning 'a pie in the sky' or something that looks good on paper but is impractical. Literally 'a rice cake drawn in a picture'.
その計画は絵に描いた餅だ。
That plan is just a pipe dream.
A plan that is risky, thoughtless, or likely to cause trouble.
Means 'reckless plan'. Strongly implies lack of caution and high risk of failure.
そんな無謀な計画はやめるべきだ。
You should give up such a reckless plan.
Means 'rash plan' or 'thoughtless plan'. Emphasizes lack of careful consideration.
軽率な計画で会社に損害を与えた。
His rash plan caused losses to the company.
A plan that has logical gaps, inconsistencies, or is not well organized.
Idiomatic phrase meaning 'a plan full of holes'. Very common in casual speech.
その計画は穴だらけだ。
That plan is full of holes.
Means 'sloppy plan' or 'carelessly made plan'. Often used in written criticism.
杜撰な計画では成功しない。
A sloppy plan won't succeed.
The English word 'poor' can mean 'lacking money' or 'of low quality'. When describing a plan, use adjectives like まずい, 悪い, or 非現実的. Using 貧しい (まずしい, 'poor' as in poverty) for a plan is incorrect and sounds unnatural.
貧しい計画
poor plan (incorrect, means 'impoverished plan')
まずい計画 is more natural for describing a plan that is unwise or likely to fail. 悪い計画 is grammatically correct but can sound slightly stiff or moralistic. In most everyday situations, まずい計画 is preferred.
Formal term for an armchair theory or impractical plan that only works on paper. Literally 'empty theory on a desk'.
彼の提案は机上の空論に過ぎない。
His proposal is nothing but an impractical plan.