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胡散 (うさん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

胡う散さん

う

さ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

suspicious; dubious; shady

Describes a person, situation, or thing that seems untrustworthy or not quite right. Often used in the phrase 胡散臭い (うさんくさい).

あの男おとこは胡う散さんな感かんじがする。
That man gives off a suspicious vibe.
胡う散さんな話はなしに乗のってはいけない。
Don't get involved in shady deals.

Written forms

胡う散さんUsage44%
Standard kanji spelling; the first character 胡 is used phonetically.
うさんUsage50%
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing.
ウサンUsage6%
迂う散さん
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
Ateji spelling; rarely used.

Kanji

胡barbarian, foreign
散scatter, disperse, spend
迂roundabout way

Similar words

胡う散さん臭くさい
The more common adjective form meaning 'suspicious-looking' or 'fishy'. 胡散 is the base noun/adjectival noun, while 胡散臭い is the everyday adjective.
怪あやしい
A broader word for 'suspicious', 'dubious', or 'questionable'. 胡散 is more limited and often appears in the compound 胡散臭い.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. The kanji 胡 and 散 are used phonetically (ateji) to represent the sound うさん. The word is now mostly encountered in the compound 胡散臭い.