ちょざい

ちょ

ざ

い

Meanings

noun

deadwood; useless wood

usually written using kana alone

Refers to wood from a tree that is considered worthless for construction or crafting. The term is literary and not used in everyday conversation.

樗ちょ材ざいは建けん材ざいとしては役やくに立たたない。
Deadwood is useless as a building material.

noun

useless person; good-for-nothing

usually written using kana alonehumble (kenjougo)

Humble expression used to refer to oneself or one's own group as incompetent or worthless. It is self-deprecating and not used to describe others directly. This usage is rare and literary.

私わたしのような樗ちょ材ざいには、その仕し事ごとは務つとまりません。
A useless person like me is not fit for that job.