ブサイク

ぶ

さ

い

く

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

clumsy; poorly made; botched

Describes something made or done without skill, resulting in an awkward or unattractive outcome. Often used for objects, crafts, or actions.

この棚たな、ブサイクだけど丈じょう夫ぶなんだよね

。

This shelf is clumsily made, but it's sturdy.

字じがブサイクで恥はずかしい。

My handwriting is so awkward I'm embarrassed.

2

na-adjective, noun

ugly; unattractive; plain-looking

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a person's appearance being unattractive or homely. Casual and somewhat blunt; can be self-deprecating or teasing.

あの俳はい優ゆう、ブサイクだけど演えん技ぎはうまいよね。
That actor is plain-looking, but his acting is great.
自じ分ぶんでブサイクだって言いうけど、そんなことないよ。
You say you're ugly, but that's not true.

Usage patterns

〈物もの〉が不ぶ細さい工くに仕し上あがるfor something to turn out clumsily made
手て作づくりの椅い子すが不ぶ細さい工くに仕し上あがってしまった。
The handmade chair ended up looking clumsily made.
〈人ひと〉の顔かおが不ぶ細さい工くだsomeone's face is unattractive/plain-looking
「俺おれの顔かお、不ぶ細さい工くだから写しゃ真しん嫌きらいなんだ」と彼かれは笑わらって言いった。

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
細dainty, get thin, taper
工craft, construction, katakana e radical (no. 48)
無nothingness, none, ain't

Related words

不ぶ格かっ好こう sense 1
不格好 focuses on an awkward shape or form, while ブサイク more broadly means poorly made or unskillfully done.
醜みにくいN2sense 2
醜い is a stronger, more formal word for 'ugly' usable for people or abstract things, while ブサイク is casual and mainly used for a person's looks.
ブス
不細工 means 'plain-looking' or 'unattractive' and can describe anyone, while ブス is harsher slang used almost exclusively as an insult toward women.

Opposites· 6

上手じょうずN5sense 1
上手 describes something skillfully made or done, the opposite of ブサイク's clumsy, poorly made result.
美うつくしいN4sense 2
美しい means beautiful, the direct opposite of ブサイク's meaning of unattractive appearance.
美び形けい
不細工 describes a plain or unattractive face, the opposite of the good looks implied by 美形.

Show 3 more

Don't confuse with

不ぶ器き用ようN3
不器用 describes a person's lack of dexterity or skill in doing things, whereas ブサイク describes the poor result of a made object or a person's unattractive looks.

Written forms

ブサイク
kana-only spelling
Most common spelling; the word is usually written in kana, and katakana is typical for this colloquial term.
不細工
- ぶさいく
  Kanji form; rarely used, and the reading may not be obvious.
- ぶざいく
無細工
rarely-used kanji form
- ぶさいく
  Rare kanji variant; it is rarely used.
- ぶざいく

Etymology

From 不細工, combining 不 with 細工, “workmanship” or “craftsmanship.” It originally described poor workmanship or clumsy execution and later came to describe unattractive appearance.

"My face is so plain that I hate having my picture taken," he said with a laugh.

ハンサムN4
ブサイク is a casual slang word meaning unattractive or ugly, the informal opposite of ハンサム.
イケメン
ブサイク is casual slang for an unattractive face, the direct opposite of イケメン.
男おとこ前まえN1
不細工 describes an unattractive face, the opposite of 男前's meaning of a good-looking man.

ぶざいく