悪い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 悪い | 悪くない |
| Polite | 悪いです | 悪くないですalso 悪くありません |
| Past polite | 悪かったです | 悪くなかったですalso 悪くありませんでした |
| Past | 悪かった | 悪くなかった |
| Te-form | 悪くて | 悪くなくて |
| Adverbial | 悪く | |
| Conditional | 悪ければ | 悪くなければ |
| Tara conditional | 悪かったら | 悪くなかったら |
Broad everyday sense for a bad condition, result, situation, influence, or feeling. The exact English translation depends heavily on the noun it describes.
今日は天気が悪い。
The weather is bad today.
Staying up late is bad for your health.
poor in quality; inferior; insufficient
Used when the quality, level, condition, or amount of something is not good enough, such as service, reception, equipment, or performance.
The signal is poor in this room.
That restaurant has poor service.
Moral sense: something is wrong, wicked, or sinful. In ordinary speech it can range from minor wrongdoing to serious evil, depending on context.
Deceiving people is a bad thing to do.
ugly; unattractive; not beautiful
Describes an unattractive or unsightly appearance. It is often used with 見た目, 形, 色, or presentation rather than as a direct insult to a person.
It looks unattractive, so let's fix the presentation.
at fault; to blame; in the wrong
Used to say who is responsible or blameworthy. Common patterns include 私が悪い, どちらが悪い, and 悪いのは〜.
I am the one at fault.
We still do not know which side is to blame.
bad at doing something; unskillful; inept
Often appears in set-like expressions describing poor skill or manner, such as 手際が悪い, 要領が悪い, or 説明が悪い.
He is bad at organizing the work, so cooking takes him a long time.
unprofitable; disadvantageous; not worthwhile
Used when the return, benefit, or balance is poor. The common phrase 割が悪い means that something is not worth the effort or is a bad deal.
This job is not worth the effort.
sorry; my bad; I feel bad about it
Casual apology or expression of guilt, often as 悪い, 悪いね, or 悪かった. It can also describe feeling that one has wronged or imposed on someone.
Sorry, I'm a little late.
Sorry to make you help me.
Sorry, but could you help me for a moment?
This job takes a lot of time for low pay, so it's just not worth it.
The weather is bad today, so I don't want to go out.
It tasted great, but the dish looked unappetizing.
This time it's my fault, so I'll apologize.
He's not really that dumb, but he always makes mistakes.
He's clumsy in the kitchen, so it always takes him a long time.
すまん and 悪い are both casual apology expressions among friends, but 悪い is even more blunt and can also mean 'my bad'.
悪い used alone as an apology (「悪い、悪い」) is even more casual and blunt than すいません, common among close friends.
悪い is the general adjective for "bad," while いけない is used more specifically for scolding or expressing disapproval of behavior.
bad guy; scoundrel; wicked person · bad child; brat; naughty kid · bad thing; mischief · excessive; unrestrained; overindulgent
ill will; malice; evil intent
prank; practical joke; horseplay; mischievous trick
useless resistance; vain struggle
ill-natured; bad-tempered; mean-spirited
drunken sickness; feeling sick from alcohol · drunken frenzy; violent or disorderly drunkenness
cunning; craftiness; slyness
unpleasant; creepy; spooky
evil scheme; sinister plot; wiles
act timid; show diffidence; look ashamed
getting carried away; going too far; overdoing it
cunning; crafty; wily; sly
uncool; unattractive; ugly; unstylish
embarrassed; ashamed; feeling awkward
seeming bad; looking bad
badness; poor quality; how bad something is · mischief; naughty act; mean trick
dangerous spot; dangerous place
unpleasant; disagreeable · mean; mean person
undesirable lover; bad boyfriend/girlfriend · passion; temper; irritability
over-sophistication; being too worldly-wise; being jaded
act tough; act bad; pretend to be worse than one is