くだらない

also: くっだらない · くっだらねー · くっだらねえ

く

だ

ら

な

い

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

くだらない · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	くだらない	くだらなくない
Polite	くだらないです	くだらなくないですalso くだらなくありません
Past polite	くだらなかったです	くだらなくなかったですalso くだらなくありませんでした
Past	くだらなかった	くだらなくなかった
Te-form	くだらなくて	くだらなくなくて
Adverbial	くだらなく
Conditional	くだらなければ	くだらなくなければ
Tara conditional	くだらなかったら	くだらなくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

trivial; worthless; useless

usually written using kana alone

Describes something so lacking in value or importance that it is not worth one's time or attention. Often used dismissively.

そんなことで悩なやむなんて、くだらないよ。
It's silly to worry about something so trivial.
この本ほんは本ほん当とうにくだらない。
This book is really worthless.

i-adjective

stupid; nonsensical; absurd

usually written using kana alone

Used for ideas, statements, or actions that lack sense or intelligence. Carries a stronger dismissive tone than sense 1.

彼かれの言いい訳わけはくだらない。
His excuse is stupid.
そんな話はなし、くだらないからやめよう。
That's a silly story, so let's drop it.

See all 30 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

くだらない〈事こと〉を言いうto say something stupid or pointless
くだらないことを言いうのはやめてくれ。
Stop saying such stupid things.
くだらない〈事こと〉に時じ間かんを使つかうto waste time on something worthless
そんなくだらないことに時じ間かんを使つかうな。
Don't waste your time on something so pointless.
くだらない話はなしをするto have a trivial or pointless conversation
友とも達だちとくだらない話はなしをして笑わらった。
I laughed while having a pointless chat with a friend.

Kanji

下below, down, descend

Related words· 6

つまらないN5sense 1
つまらない means something is boring or uninteresting, while くだらない means it lacks real value or sense and isn't worth bothering with.
ばかばかしいN2sense 2
ばかばかしい is a stronger word for something laughably foolish or absurd, while くだらない can express milder dismissiveness toward something worthless or pointless.
無む駄だN4sense 1
無駄 focuses on something being wasteful or unproductive, whereas くだらない more broadly labels something as worthless or not worth attention.
しょうもない
くだらない is standard Japanese for something trivial or worthless, while しょうもない carries the same meaning but is casual and Kansai-dialect in origin.

Show 2 more

馬ば鹿からしいN2
くだらない focuses on something being worthless or trivial in content, whereas 馬鹿らしい focuses on it being laughably unreasonable or pointless.
無む意い味みN2
くだらない is a casual i-adjective for something trivial or worthless, while 無意味 is a more neutral, formal term for lacking meaning.

Opposites

重じゅう要ようN3sense 1
重要 describes something important and worth attention, the opposite of くだらない, which dismisses something as worthless or trivial.

Don't confuse with

下くだるN3
下る means 'to descend' or 'to go down', while くだらない (written with the same kanji) is an unrelated adjective meaning 'worthless' or 'stupid', not a negative form of 下る.

Etymology

From the negative form of くだる in an older sense “be intelligible, acceptable, or worthwhile.” くだらない consequently developed from “not making sense” or “not worth consideration” to “trivial; worthless.”