ろくに

ろ

く

に

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

adverb

(not) well; (not) properly; (not) enough

usually written using kana alone

Used with a negative verb to express that something is not done adequately, properly, or to a satisfactory degree. Often implies a lack of effort or care.

彼かれ

は

ろくに

勉べん

強きょう

も

し

ない

で

試し

験けん

に

落お

ち

た

。

He failed the exam without studying properly.

最さい近きん、ろくに寝ねていない。

I haven't been sleeping well lately.

Usage patterns

ろくに〈動どう詞し〉ないto not (do something) properly/enough
最さい近きん忙いそがしくて、ろくに寝ねていない。
I've been so busy lately that I haven't been sleeping properly.
ろくに〈物もの〉も〈動どう詞し〉ないto not even do a basic amount of (something)
彼かれはろくに挨あい拶さつもしない。
He doesn't even greet people properly.

Kanji

碌satisfactory
陸land, six

Related words

まともに
ろくに is used only with negative verbs to mean 'not properly', while まともに can appear in both positive and negative sentences to mean 'properly' or 'seriously'.
余あまりN5
あまり with a negative verb means 'not very much' in a general sense, while ろくに specifically implies something was not done adequately or carefully.

Opposites

ちゃんとN4
ちゃんと is used in affirmative sentences to mean 'properly, neatly', the positive counterpart to ろくに, which only appears with negatives to mean 'not properly'.

Written forms

碌ろくにUsage1%
Standard kanji form, though the word is usually written in kana.
ろくにUsage99%
Kana spelling is the most common written form.
陸ろくに
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; avoid in normal writing.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective ろく (碌), meaning 'satisfactory' or 'proper', combined with the adverbial particle に. The kanji 碌 is often used for its sound rather than meaning.