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ぼろい Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 50,000 Conjugation Meanings 1
i-adjective
lucrative ; easy money ; cushy
colloquial
Colloquial adjective describing a job, deal, or situation that brings in a lot of money with relatively little effort. Often carries a slightly envious or slangy tone.
Apparently he made a killing reselling stuff.
Written forms ぼろい Usage 23%
Standard kana spelling for this colloquial adjective.
ボロい Usage 77%
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
Similar words うまい うまい means 'tasty' or 'skillful', but can also mean 'profitable' in a more general sense. ぼろい is more colloquial and emphasizes easy, large profits.
おいしい おいしい primarily means 'delicious', but metaphorically can mean 'profitable'. ぼろい is more direct and slangy about easy money.
Etymology Derived from ぼろ (rags, scrap) + adjective-forming suffix い, originally meaning 'shabby' or 'worn-out'. The shift to 'lucrative' likely comes from the idea of making money from scraps or something seemingly worthless, but the exact semantic development is uncertain.
