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台無し (だいなし) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N2 Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
na-adjective, noun
ruined ; spoiled ; wasted ; messed up
Describes something that has been completely ruined, spoiled, or rendered useless, often through carelessness or misfortune. Frequently used in the patterns 台無しになる (become ruined) and 台無しにする (ruin something).
楽たの
しい
雰ふん
囲い
気き
が
台だい
無な
し
に
なっ
た
。
His one remark spoiled the pleasant atmosphere.
Written forms 台だい 無な し Usage 63%
Standard kanji spelling; high frequency in news and common usage.
台だい なし Usage 24%
Alternate spelling with kana for 無し; less common but still encountered.
だいなし Usage 13%
Kanji 台 pedestal, a stand, counter for machines and vehicles 無 nothingness, none, ain't Similar words 無む 駄だ 無駄 means 'wasteful' or 'useless' in a general sense, while 台無し emphasizes that something has been completely ruined or spoiled beyond repair.
駄だ 目め 駄目 is a broader term for 'no good' or 'not allowed', whereas 台無し specifically refers to something being ruined or spoiled.
Etymology Compound of 台 (stand, base) and 無し (without, lacking). The original meaning was 'without a stand' or 'lacking a foundation', which evolved to mean 'ruined' or 'spoiled'.