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縁起の悪い (えんぎのわるい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

縁えん起ぎの悪わるい

Meanings

1

expression, i-adjective

ominous; unlucky; inauspicious

Used for things, events, or symbols believed to bring bad luck or be a bad omen. Often appears in everyday speech about superstitions.

黒くろ猫ねこが道みちを横よこ切ぎるのは縁えん起ぎの悪わるいことだと言いわれている。
It is said that a black cat crossing your path is an unlucky thing.

縁えん起ぎの悪わるい話はなしはやめてください。

Please stop talking about such ominous things.

Kanji

縁affinity, relation, connection
起rouse, wake up, get up
悪bad, vice, rascal

Similar words

不ふ吉きつ
不吉 is a more formal, written-style word for 'ominous' or 'ill-omened', while 縁起の悪い is a common, everyday expression rooted in folk belief.

Etymology

A set phrase combining 縁起 (engi, 'omen' or 'luck') with the possessive particle の and the adjective 悪い (warui, 'bad'). The word 縁起 itself derives from Buddhist terminology referring to 'dependent origination', but in common usage it simply means 'luck' or 'omen'.