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如才ない (じょさいない) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
i-adjective
tactful ; shrewd ; socially adept
Describes someone who is smooth, considerate, and clever in social situations, often with a nuance of being diplomatically attentive without being obsequious. Typically used in the negative form 如才ない to mean 'not tactless' → 'tactful'. The positive form 如才ある is rarely used.
如じょ 才さい ない 人ひと ほど 、 陰かげ で 努ど 力りょく し て いる もの だ 。
The more socially adept a person is, the more effort they tend to put in behind the scenes.
Written forms 如じょ 才さい ない
Standard kanji spelling. The kanji 如 and 才 are used phonetically (ateji).
如じょ 才さい 無な い
Variant with 無い instead of ない; less common but seen.
如在じょさい ない
Rare variant; 在 is an alternative ateji for ざい.
如在無いじょさいない
Rare variant combining 在 and 無い.
Kanji 才 genius, years old, cubic shaku 無 nothingness, none, ain't 在 exist, outskirts, suburbs Similar words 気き が 利き く 気が利く emphasizes quick-witted attentiveness and consideration, while 如才ない focuses more on smooth, tactful social maneuvering and shrewdness.
愛あい 想そ がいい 愛想がいい means 'amiable' or 'sociable' with a focus on friendliness, whereas 如才ない implies a more calculated, clever social grace.
Etymology The word is a negative form of 如才ある, where 如才 is ateji for じょさい, possibly from 如 (like) + 才 (talent), but the exact derivation is uncertain. The negative form became the standard usage, meaning 'not lacking in social skill'.
