Translation guide
The English word "waste" covers several distinct meanings: using resources poorly, unwanted materials, bodily waste, and wasting time. Japanese uses different words for each, and some common English phrases have no direct equivalent.
Express that something is used carelessly, excessively, or without good purpose, leading to loss.
The most common and versatile word for wastefulness. Can be used as a noun or na-adjective. Often appears in set phrases.
電気の無駄遣いをやめましょう。
Let's stop wasting electricity.
それはお金の無駄だ。
That's a waste of money.
Verb phrase meaning 'to waste something'. Used when the object is explicitly wasted.
食べ物を無駄にしてはいけません。
You mustn't waste food.
時間を無駄にした。
I wasted time.
An adjective expressing regret over waste. It conveys a sense that something valuable is not being used properly. Often used as an exclamation.
まだ使えるのに捨てるのはもったいない。
It's a waste to throw it away when it's still usable.
もったいない！
What a waste!
A more formal verb for squandering resources, especially money or time. Often used in written contexts.
彼は給料をギャンブルで浪費した。
He wasted his salary on gambling.
Express that time is used unproductively or on something unimportant.
The standard way to say 'waste time'. Literally 'make time useless'.
そんなことに時間を無駄にするな。
Don't waste your time on that.
Means 'to kill time', often in a neutral or slightly positive sense of filling free time. Not necessarily negative waste.
カフェで暇をつぶした。
I killed time at a café.
Similar to 暇をつぶす but explicitly with 'time'. Can imply wasting time when context is negative.
ゲームで時間を潰した。
I wasted time playing games.
Refer to unwanted or discarded materials, especially in environmental or industrial contexts.
General word for trash, garbage, or rubbish. Used in everyday life.
ゴミを分別してください。
Please separate your waste.
Formal term for waste materials, often used in legal, industrial, or environmental contexts.
Unwanted items, things no longer needed. Often used for bulky waste or items for disposal.
Refer to excrement in a medical, childcare, or polite context.
Polite, clinical term for bodily waste. Used in medical or formal situations.
排泄物の処理に注意してください。
Please be careful when handling bodily waste.
Literally 'large and small business', a euphemism for feces and urine. Common in healthcare.
Childish word for poop. Used with children or in very casual contexts.
犬がうんちをした。
The dog pooped.
Describe progressive physical decline, often due to illness.
To become weak and thin, often from illness. The standard translation for 'waste away'.
彼は病気で衰弱していった。
He wasted away from illness.
To become haggard or emaciated, often from worry or hardship. More about appearance.
心配でやつれてしまった。
I've wasted away from worry.
Express complete destruction, often in a literary or dramatic context.
To lay waste, devastate. Used for land, cities, etc.
戦争が国を荒廃させた。
The war laid waste to the country.
General word for destroy. Can be used in 'lay waste' contexts but less dramatic.
町が完全に破壊された。
The town was laid waste.
While 時間の無駄 is correct, English speakers often overuse it. In many cases, Japanese prefers a more specific verb or phrase. For example, instead of 'That movie was a waste of time', say あの映画はつまらなかった (That movie was boring).
無駄 focuses on the objective fact of waste, while もったいない expresses a subjective feeling of regret. Use もったいない when you want to show emotional reaction to waste.
まだ食べられるのに捨てるなんてもったいない。
It's such a waste to throw away food that's still edible.
そんなことにお金を無駄にしないで。
Don't waste your money on that.
これは時間の無駄だ。
This is a waste of time.
リサイクルのためにゴミを分別してください。
Separate your waste for recycling.
産業廃棄物の処理
industrial waste disposal
不用品を回収してもらった。
I had my unwanted items collected.
大小便の世話をする。
to help someone with their toilet needs