狡ずる賢がしこい

ず

る

が

し

こ

い

狡賢い · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	狡ずる賢がしこい	狡ずる賢がしこくない
Polite	狡ずる賢がしこいです	狡ずる賢がしこくないですalso 狡ずる賢がしこくありません
Past polite	狡ずる賢がしこかったです	狡ずる賢がしこくなかったですalso 狡ずる賢がしこくありませんでした
Past	狡ずる賢がしこかった	狡ずる賢がしこくなかった
Te-form	狡ずる賢がしこくて	狡ずる賢がしこくなくて
Adverbial	狡ずる賢がしこく
Conditional	狡ずる賢がしこければ	狡ずる賢がしこくなければ
Tara conditional	狡ずる賢がしこかったら	狡ずる賢がしこくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

sly; cunning; crafty; devious

Describes someone who uses clever but underhanded tactics for personal gain. Often carries a negative moral judgment.

彼かれはずる賢がしこい手て口ぐちで契けい約やくを取とった。
He got the contract through a sly trick.
あの子こはずる賢がしこくて、いつも宿しゅく題だいを写うつしている。
That kid is cunning and always copies homework.

See all 26 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

ずる賢がしこく〈動詞どうし〉〉to do something in a cunning, underhanded way
彼かれはずる賢がしこく危き機きを切きり抜ぬけた。
He cunningly maneuvered his way out of the crisis.
ずる賢がしこいキツネa cunning fox (a common image of slyness in stories)
童どう話わにはずる賢がしこいキツネがよく登とう場じょうする。
A cunning fox often appears in fairy tales.

Kanji

賢intelligent, wise, wisdom
狡cunning, sly, crafty

Related words

悪わる賢がしこいN1
悪賢い and ずる賢い both describe cunning used for selfish or harmful ends, but 悪賢い leans slightly more toward malicious intent.
狡こう猾かつ
狡猾 is a more formal, literary word for cunning, while ずる賢い is the everyday spoken equivalent.
ずるいN3
ずるい is a simpler, more casual word for 'unfair/sly' behavior, whereas ずる賢い adds the sense of calculated cleverness behind the unfairness.
抜ぬけ目めない
抜け目ない describes shrewdness that misses no opportunity and is often neutral or even admiring, unlike the negative judgment carried by ずる賢い.
小こ賢ざかしい
小賢しい implies a petty, irritating cleverness (often in a child or subordinate), while ずる賢い focuses on cunning used for personal gain.

Opposites

正しょう直じきN3
正直 means honest and straightforward, the opposite of the deceptive cleverness described by ずる賢い.

Written forms

狡ずる賢がしこいUsage3%
Standard kanji spelling, marked as common.
ずる賢がしこいUsage63%
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, also used.
ずるがしこいUsage34%

Etymology

Compound of ずる (sly, cunning) and 賢い (clever, smart). The exact origin of ずる is uncertain, but it may be related to the adjectival noun ずる (unfair, sly).