い形容詞 I

事実じじつに基もとづかない報道ほうどうは、甚はなはだしい誤解ごかいを招まねく。

Reporting not grounded in fact invites gross misunderstanding.

Usage 甚だしい誤解, 甚だしい損害 — extreme in degree, and always of something bad. The adverb 甚だ means exceedingly. 〜も甚だしい means outrageously so, as in 失礼も甚だしい.

Remember it 甚 (extreme, as in 甚大) → past any reasonable degree.

この地域ちいきは資源しげんに乏とぼしい。

This region is poor in resources.

Usage 〜に乏しい — note the に. 経験に乏しい, 資金に乏しい, 独創性に乏しい. More formal than 少ない. Opposite: 豊富だ.

Remember it 乏 (lacking, as in 欠乏, 貧乏) → short of what it needs.

手続てつづきが煩わずらわしくて、申請しんせいを後回あとまわしにしてしまった。

The procedure was such a nuisance that I put the application off.

Usage 手続きが煩わしい, 人間関係が煩わしい — bothersome enough that you would rather avoid it. The verb 煩う means to be troubled.

Remember it 煩 is 火 (fire) beside 頁 (head) → your head heating up over the fuss.

二ふたつの商品しょうひんは名前なまえが紛まぎらわしい。

The two products have confusingly similar names.

Usage 紛らわしい表現, 紛らわしい名前 — easy to mix up because they resemble each other. Not 曖昧, which is unclear in meaning; 紛らわしい is clear but too like something else.

Remember it 紛 (confuse, as in 紛争, 紛失) → so alike they get mixed in with each other.

質問しつもんしたのに、素そっ気けない返事へんじしか返かえってこなかった。

I asked, and all I got back was a curt reply.

Usage 素っ気ない態度, 素っ気ない返事 — blunt and unfriendly, though not necessarily hostile. There is simply no warmth in it.

Remember it 素気 (flavour, warmth) + ない → not a trace of flavour in it.

優勝ゆうしょう候補こうほが初戦しょせんで呆気あっけなく敗やぶれた。

The favourite went out in the first round, and that was that.

Usage 呆気ない結末, 呆気ない幕切れ — over so quickly it leaves you deflated. The adverb 呆気なく is very common. Also written あっけない.

Remember it 呆 (dumbstruck) + 気 + ない → over before you had come to your senses.

こんな簡単かんたんな問題もんだいも解とけないとは情なさけない。

Not being able to solve even a problem this simple is pathetic.

Usage Pitiful and shaming, usually said of yourself or someone close to you. Unlike 恥ずかしい, which is embarrassment, 情けない carries disappointment.

Remember it 情け (compassion) + ない → beyond even feeling sorry for.

年末ねんまつは何なにかと慌あわただしい日々ひびが続つづく。

The end of the year brings one hectic day after another.

Usage 慌ただしい毎日, 慌ただしい雰囲気 — rushed, with no time to breathe. The verb 慌てる is to panic. Unlike 忙しい, the stress is on the disorder.

Remember it 慌 (fluster, as in 恐慌) on the heart radical 忄 → the mind in disarray.

幾多いくたの困難こんなんを乗のり越こえ、彼かれはたくましく成長せいちょうした。

Having overcome many difficulties, he grew up strong.

Usage Three uses: たくましい体, physically powerful; resilience of spirit against hardship; and 想像力たくましい, a vivid imagination, sometimes ironically. Written 逞しい in kanji.

Remember it 逞 (rare, usually left in kana) → strength pushing outward.

長年ながねん使つかった鞄かばんはすっかりみすぼらしくなっていた。

The bag I had used for years had grown quite shabby.

Usage みすぼらしい身なり, みすぼらしい家 — poor-looking. Only about appearance, and either pitying or contemptuous.

Remember it 見 (look) + 窄 (narrow, shrunken) → looking shrunken and poor.

自分じぶんの非ひを認みとめて潔いさぎよく謝罪しゃざいする姿すがたに好感こうかんを持もった。

I warmed to the way he owned his fault and apologised without fuss.

Usage 潔く認める, 潔く引き下がる — accepting without excuses. A quality highly valued in Japan. Opposites: 見苦しい, 往生際が悪い.

Remember it 潔 (pure, as in 清潔, 潔白) → clean, with nothing muddying it.

雨上あめあがりの朝あさの空気くうきは清々すがすがしい。

The air on a morning after rain is refreshing.

Usage 清々しい朝, 清々しい気分, 清々しい態度. Used both of air and of the feeling left when a weight has been lifted.

Remember it 清 (clear) doubled → clear right through.

健康けんこうのためには、規則きそく正ただしい生活せいかつが好このましい。

For your health, a regular routine is desirable.

Usage 好ましい傾向, 好ましい人物. The negative 好ましくない, meaning inadvisable, is a common way of criticising politely.

Remember it 好む (like) + ましい → in a state one would like.

応募おうぼには実務じつむ経験けいけんがあることが望のぞましい。

Practical experience is preferred for applicants.

Usage 〜ことが望ましい — ideally, though not required. Common in job advertisements and guidelines. Weaker than 必要だ.

Remember it 望む (wish for) + ましい → in the state one would wish for.

近所きんじょの工事こうじが喧やかましくて集中しゅうちゅうできない。

The building work nearby is so noisy I cannot concentrate.

Usage Three uses: noisy; 規則に喧しい, strict and fussy about; and 世間が喧しい, public opinion in uproar. Usually written やかましい.

Remember it 喧 (clamour, as in 喧嘩, 喧噪) on the mouth radical 口 → the din of many voices.

辛抱強しんぼうづよく交渉こうしょうを続つづけた結果けっか、合意ごういに至いたった。

Patient negotiation eventually brought us to agreement.

Usage 辛抱強く〜する. 辛抱 is bearing with something. Close to 粘り強い: 辛抱強い stresses enduring, 粘り強い not giving up.

Remember it 辛 (bitter) + 抱 (hold) + 強い (strong) → strong enough to keep holding what is bitter.

彼かれは用心深ようじんぶかい性格せいかくで、契約けいやく書しょを何度なんども読よみ返かえす。

He is cautious by nature and reads a contract over several times.

Usage 用心深い人, 用心深い態度. 用心 is taking care. Neutral to positive, unlike 疑い深い, which is suspicious.

Remember it 用心 (watchfulness) + 深い (deep) → watchful all the way down.

茶道さどうは学まなべば学まなぶほど奥深おくぶかい。

The tea ceremony grows deeper the more you study it.

Usage 奥深い世界, 奥深い意味 — with layer beneath layer. Also read おくふかい. Used of learning, art and culture.

Remember it 奥 (the inner recess) + 深い (deep) → deep into the back of it.

別わかれが名残惜なごりおしくて、なかなか席せきを立たてなかった。

Parting was hard and I could not bring myself to get up.

Usage Reluctance to part. 名残 is what lingers after something has gone. The word of farewell parties and graduations.

Remember it 名残 (what lingers) + 惜しい (regret losing) → regretting the last of it as it goes.

知しらない土地とちで一人ひとりになると心細こころぼそくなる。

Being alone in an unfamiliar place makes me uneasy.

Usage Feeling small and unsupported. Its direct opposite is 心強い, and the two are often tested as a pair.

Remember it 心 (heart) + 細い (thin) → the heart worn thin with nothing to lean on.

経験けいけん豊富ほうふな先輩せんぱいがいてくれるのは心強こころづよい。

It is reassuring to have an experienced senior colleague with us.

Usage 心強い味方, 心強い存在. The subject is whatever you can lean on. The counterpart of 心細い.

Remember it 心 (heart) + 強い (strong) → the heart made stronger by it.

その偏見へんけんは今いまなお根強ねづよく残のこっている。

That prejudice remains deeply rooted even now.

Usage 根強い人気, 根強い偏見, 根強い反対 — hard to shift. Used of good things and bad alike. The adverb is 根強く.

Remember it 根 (root) + 強い (strong) → rooted too firmly to pull up.

粘ねばり強づよい交渉こうしょうの末すえ、ようやく契約けいやくがまとまった。

After tenacious negotiation, the contract finally came together.

Usage 粘り強く続ける, 粘り強く交渉する. From the verb 粘る. Positive, praising force of will.

Remember it 粘る (stick, hold on) + 強い (strong) → holding on without snapping.

被災ひさい者しゃに手厚てあつい支援しえんが行おこなわれた。

Generous support was given to those affected by the disaster.

Usage 手厚い支援, 手厚い看護, 手厚いもてなし — attentive and generous. Its opposite is 手薄, thinly staffed or covered.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 厚い (thick) → a thick, unstinting hand in the care.

手術しゅじゅつ後ごの経過けいかは思おもわしくない。

Progress since the operation is not good.

Usage Almost only in the negative: 思わしくない, not going as one would wish. Used of 経過, 業績, 天候. The affirmative is rare.

Remember it 思う (wish, expect) + わしい → as one would have wished, or, negated, not so.

桜さくらの美うつくしさは儚はかないからこそ心こころに残のこる。

The beauty of cherry blossom stays with you precisely because it is fleeting.

Usage 儚い命, 儚い夢 — transient. A literary word, bound up with the Japanese aesthetic of 無常. Often written はかない.

Remember it 儚 is 亻 (person) beside 夢 (dream) → a human life, no more lasting than a dream.

最新さいしんの技術ぎじゅつには疎うといので、若手わかてに任まかせている。

I am not up on the latest technology, so I leave it to the younger staff.

Usage 〜に疎い, not well versed in; and 疎くなる, of a relationship growing distant. Relatives: 疎遠, 疎外, 疎か.

Remember it 疎 (sparse, distant, as in 疎遠) → too far off from it to know it well.

この合意ごういは見みかけほど強固きょうこではなく、意外いがいに脆もろい。

The agreement is not as solid as it looks — it is surprisingly fragile.

Usage Easily broken, whether physically or not. 情に脆い means soft-hearted, easily moved. The Sino-Japanese noun is 脆弱.

Remember it 脆 (brittle, as in 脆弱) → it snaps rather than bends.

この十じゅう年ねんで通信つうしん技術ぎじゅつは目覚めざましい進歩しんぽを遂とげた。

Communications technology has made spectacular progress this decade.

Usage 目覚ましい進歩, 目覚ましい活躍, 目覚ましい発展 — striking, and always of something good.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 覚ます (wake) → bright enough to wake you up.

災害さいがいで多おおくの尊とうとい命いのちが失うしなわれた。

Many precious lives were lost in the disaster.

Usage 尊い命, 尊い犠牲, 尊い教え — precious and to be honoured. Also read たっとい. Solemn, for serious contexts.

Remember it 尊 (revered, as in 尊敬, 尊厳) → held above the ordinary.