ずさん

ず

さ

ん

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Describes work, management, or planning that is done without proper care, full of mistakes or oversights. Often used critically.

彼かれのずさんな管かん理りが問もん題だいを引ひき起おこした。
His careless management caused the problem.
ずさんな会かい計けい処しょ理りが発はっ覚かくした。
Sloppy accounting practices were uncovered.

noun

unreliable sourcing; error-ridden writing

Specifically refers to a piece of writing that uses unreliable sources or is full of errors. A more literary, less common sense.

その論ろん文ぶんは杜ず撰さんで、引いん用ようが不ふ正せい確かくだった。
That paper was sloppy, with inaccurate citations.

See all 21 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉がずさんだ[something] is sloppy/carelessly done
この工こう事じの管かん理りがずさんだった。
The management of this construction project was sloppy.
出しゅっ典てんがずさんだthe sourcing (of a piece of writing) is unreliable/sloppy
この論ろん文ぶんは出しゅっ典てんがずさんで信しん頼らいできない。
This paper's sourcing is so unreliable that it can't be trusted.
ずさんな〈事こと〉careless/sloppy [thing]
ずさんな経けい理りが発はっ覚かくした。
Sloppy accounting practices came to light.

Kanji

杜woods, grove
撰composing, editing, compiling

Related words· 7

いい加か減げんN2sense 1
いい加減 stresses an irresponsible, don't-care attitude, while 杜撰 focuses on the sloppy, error-filled result of such an attitude.
粗そ雑ざつ sense 1
粗雑 describes crude, rough workmanship itself, whereas 杜撰 emphasizes the carelessness that leads to mistakes and oversights.
雑ざつN1sense 1
雑 is a plain, everyday word for something done roughly, while 杜撰 is a stronger, more formal criticism of negligent, error-ridden work.
手て抜ぬきN1sense 1
手抜き specifically means skimping on effort or steps, while 杜撰 covers the broader resulting carelessness and errors, not just cut corners.

Show 3 more

緩かん慢まん
ずさん stresses carelessness or sloppiness in how something is done, while 緩慢 in this sense focuses on regulation or handling being too lax.
大おおざっぱN2
ずさん describes work that is seriously careless or shoddy, whereas 大ざっぱ is a milder, more everyday way to say something lacks detail.
無む計けい画かくN3
杜撰 emphasizes sloppy, careless execution (often of work or documents), whereas 無計画 focuses specifically on the absence of a plan.

Opposites

丁てい寧ねいN4sense 1
丁寧 describes careful, attentive work, the opposite of the sloppy, error-prone work described by 杜撰.
綿めん密みつ sense 1
綿密 means meticulous and thorough planning, standing in direct contrast to the careless, gap-ridden work called 杜撰.
着ちゃく実じつN1
杜撰 describes careless, sloppy work or planning, the opposite of the dependable, step-by-step nature of 着実.
周しゅう到とう
杜撰 describes sloppy, careless work with many oversights, the opposite of the meticulous thoroughness of 周到.

Don't confuse with

でたらめN3sense 1
でたらめ describes something random, inconsistent, or nonsensical, while 杜撰 specifically describes work done carelessly with resulting errors, not necessarily randomness.

Word family

杜ず撰さん脱だつ漏ろう
careless and full of omissions; slipshod with many gaps

Written forms

ずさんUsage53%
Standard kana spelling. It is usually written in kana.
杜撰Usage37%
- ずさん
  Kanji form is uncommon; the word is usually written in kana. The reading ずざん is obsolete.
- ずざん
  out-dated reading
ズサンUsage9%
ずざんUsage1%
out-dated reading

Etymology

Originally from Chinese, where 杜撰 referred to a work by Du Mo (杜黙) that was full of errors. In Japanese, it came to mean careless or sloppy work, especially in writing. The kanji 杜 (forest) and 撰 (select/compile) are used phonetically.