くどい

く

ど

い

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

くどい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	くどい	くどくない
Polite	くどいです	くどくないですalso くどくありません
Past polite	くどかったです	くどくなかったですalso くどくありませんでした
Past	くどかった	くどくなかった
Te-form	くどくて	くどくなくて
Adverbial	くどく
Conditional	くどければ	くどくなければ
Tara conditional	くどかったら	くどくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

repetitious; long-winded; insistent

usually written using kana alone

Describes speech, writing, or a person that goes on too long, repeats the same point, or nags. Often carries a negative, annoyed tone.

彼かれの説せつ明めいはいつもくどい。
His explanations are always long-winded.
そんなにくどく言いわなくてもわかるよ。
You don't have to keep saying it; I get it.

i-adjective

heavy; overly rich; cloying

usually written using kana alone

Used for food or drink that is too rich, strong, or heavy, often in a way that becomes unpleasant. Common with sweet or fatty dishes.

このケーキは味あじがくどい。
This cake has a heavy, cloying taste.
ソースがくどくて、全ぜん部ぶ食たべられなかった。
The sauce was so rich I couldn't finish it.

i-adjective

gaudy; loud

usually written using kana alone

Describes colors, patterns, or designs that are too bright, busy, or showy, often in a tasteless way.

あのシャツは色いろがくどい。
That shirt has gaudy colors.
壁かべ紙がみの柄えがくどすぎる。
The wallpaper pattern is too loud.

See all 26 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈話はなし〉がくどいsomeone's talk/explanation is repetitive and long-winded
彼かれの説せつ明めいはいつもくどい。
His explanations are always long-winded.
〈味あじ〉がくどいa food or dish tastes too rich or heavy
このケーキは甘あますぎてくどい。
This cake is too sweet and heavy.
〈色いろ〉がくどいa color or pattern is too loud or gaudy
そのシャツの色いろはちょっとくどい。
The color of that shirt is a bit too loud.
〈人ひと〉に言いわれてくどいto find someone's repeated nagging tiresome
母ははに何なん度ども同おなじことを言いわれてくどいと思おもった。
I thought it was tiresome that my mother kept saying the same thing over and over.

Kanji

諄tedious

Related words

しつこいN3sense 1
しつこい stresses stubborn persistence over time (e.g. a nagging taste or person), while くどい focuses on excessive repetition or richness in the moment.
派は手でN3sense 3
派手 simply means flashy or showy, while くどい adds a negative nuance of being tastelessly overdone in color or design.
うるさいN5sense 1
うるさい covers any bothersome noise or nagging behavior in general, while くどい specifically targets speech that repeats itself too much.
息いきの長ながいN1
くどい criticizes needless repetition, while 息の長い (in its negative sense) criticizes excessive length without necessarily repeating.

Opposites

あっさりN1sense 2
あっさり describes a light, plain taste, the opposite of くどい's heavy, cloying richness.
地じ味みN3sense 3
地味 describes subdued, plain colors or designs, the opposite of くどい's loud, gaudy look.

Don't confuse with

しつこいN3
くどい and しつこい both describe excessive persistence or heaviness, but くどい leans toward wordiness or an overdone taste while しつこい stresses refusal to stop or let go.

Word family

くどくどしい
long-winded; verbose; repetitive

Written forms

くどいUsage94%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 諄い is rare.
クドいUsage6%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling used for emphasis or in casual writing.
諄くどい
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should use kana.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the adverb くどくど (on and on, tediously), which is sound-symbolic. The kanji 諄 is a rare, semantically matched character.