生うまれ損そこない

Meanings

Strongly derogatory term for a person considered worthless or a failure in life. Often used as an insult or in self-deprecation.

あいつは生うまれ損そこないだ。
That guy is a good-for-nothing.
自じ分ぶんを生うまれ損そこないだと思おもってはいけない。
You mustn't think of yourself as a loser.

Kanji

生life, genuine, birth
損damage, loss, disadvantage

Related words

役やく立たたず
役立たず means 'useless person' and focuses on lack of utility, while 生まれ損ない is a harsher, more existential insult implying worthlessness from birth.
ろくでなし
ろくでなし is a common insult for a ne'er-do-well or bum, similar in strength but less specifically about being born worthless.

Written forms

生うまれ損そこない
Standard spelling for this derogatory term.
生うまれ損そこない
Alternate spelling using 損い; less common than 生まれ損ない.

Etymology

Compound of 生まれ (umare, 'birth') and 損ない (sokonai, 'failure, damage'), literally 'birth failure'. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows a productive pattern of noun+損ない to indicate a flawed or failed version of something.