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悪賢い (わるがしこい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

悪わる賢がしこい

わ

る

が

し

こ

い

Common wordJLPTN1

Meanings

1

i-adjective

cunning; crafty; wily; sly

Describes someone who uses cleverness in a negative, self-serving way; implies shrewdness with a dishonest or manipulative edge.

彼かれは悪わる賢がしこい手て口ぐちで金かねをだまし取とった。
He swindled money using a cunning trick.

あの子こは悪わる賢がしこくて、いつも言いい訳わけばかりしている。

That kid is sly and always making excuses.

Written forms

悪わる賢がしこいUsage68%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
悪わるがしこいUsage24%
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; sometimes used for clarity or emphasis.
わるがしこいUsage8%

Kanji

悪bad, vice, rascal
賢intelligent, wise, wisdom

Similar words

ずるい
More casual and common; focuses on unfair or sneaky behavior, while 悪賢い emphasizes crafty intelligence used for bad purposes.
狡こう猾かつ
A formal, written term for cunning or craftiness, often used in serious contexts like politics or crime; 悪賢い is more colloquial.

Etymology

Compound of 悪 (わる, 'bad') and 賢い (かしこい, 'clever, smart'). The combination yields 'clever in a bad way', i.e., cunning or crafty.