な形容詞 I

部署ぶしょ間かんの連携れんけいが円滑えんかつに進すすむよう調整ちょうせいした。

We arranged matters so that cooperation between departments would run smoothly.

Usage 円滑に進む, 円滑に運営する. Common partners: 進行, 運営, コミュニケーション. Its opposite in practice is 滞る, to stall.

Remember it 円 (round) + 滑 (slippery) → round and slick, so it rolls without catching.

犯行はんこうの手口てぐちは極きわめて巧妙こうみょうだった。

The method used in the crime was extremely ingenious.

Usage 巧妙な手口, 巧妙な仕掛け — clever, and usually said of a trick or a scheme, so slightly negative. Not 巧み, which is neutral skill.

Remember it 巧 (skilful) + 妙 (uncanny) → skilful to the point of being uncanny.

彼かれは露骨ろこつに不満ふまんな表情ひょうじょうを見みせた。

He showed his displeasure quite openly.

Usage 露骨な表現, 露骨な態度 — blatant, with no attempt at concealment. Negative. The adverb 露骨に is very common.

Remember it 露 (exposed) + 骨 (bone) → exposed right down to the bone.

厳密げんみつに言いえば、この二ふたつは同おなじ概念がいねんではない。

Strictly speaking, the two are not the same concept.

Usage 厳密に言えば, 厳密には — a common opening in academic writing. Also 厳密な検査, a rigorous inspection.

Remember it 厳 (strict) + 密 (close) → strict and close to the letter.

要点ようてんを簡潔かんけつにまとめて報告ほうこくしてください。

Please report the main points concisely.

Usage 簡潔にまとめる, 簡潔に述べる. Complimentary, unlike plain 短い. Its direct opposite is 冗長.

Remember it 簡 (simple) + 潔 (clean) → simple and clean, with nothing left over.

綿密めんみつな調査ちょうさの上うえで結論けつろんを出だした。

We reached the conclusion after a meticulous investigation.

Usage 綿密な計画, 綿密な調査. Close to 緻密: 綿密 stresses thorough preparation, 緻密 the fineness of the structure.

Remember it 綿 (cotton wool) + 密 (dense) → packed as densely as cotton, with no gap anywhere.

締しめ切きりが迫せまっているのに、そんな悠長ゆうちょうなことは言いっていられない。

With the deadline on us, we cannot afford to be so leisurely about it.

Usage 悠長なことを言う, 悠長に構える — taking your time when you should be hurrying. Critical in tone.

Remember it 悠 (unhurried) + 長 (long) → stretched out at a stroll.

安易あんいな解決かいけつ策さくに飛とびつくべきではない。

We should not jump at a facile solution.

Usage 安易な考え, 安易な妥協 — taking the easy road. Always critical, unlike the neutral 簡単.

Remember it 安 (cheap) + 易 (easy) → the cheap, easy way out.

技術ぎじゅつ的てきにはまだ未熟みじゅくな点てんが多おおい。

Technically there are still many immature aspects.

Usage 未熟な人材, 未熟な技術. Also of unripe fruit. The humble 未熟者ですが means 'inexperienced as I am'. Opposites: 円熟, 熟練.

Remember it 未 (not yet) + 熟 (ripe) → not ripe yet.

両者りょうしゃは円満えんまんに和解わかいした。

The two sides reached an amicable settlement.

Usage 円満に解決する, 円満退社 — without ill feeling. Used of relationships, divorces and resignations. 家庭円満 is domestic harmony.

Remember it 円 (round) + 満 (full) → round and full, with no piece chipped out.

彼かれの構想こうそうはあまりに壮大そうだいで、実現じつげん性せいが疑うたがわれた。

His vision was so grand that its feasibility was doubted.

Usage 壮大な計画, 壮大な景色, 壮大なスケール — used of anything on a great scale: landscape, plan, music.

Remember it 壮 (magnificent) + 大 (great) → great and imposing with it.

陰湿いんしつないじめが長期間ちょうきかん続つづいていた。

Insidious bullying had gone on for a long period.

Usage 陰湿ないじめ, 陰湿なやり方 — malice carried on covertly and persistently. Strongly negative. Opposites: 陽気, 開放的.

Remember it 陰 (shade) + 湿 (damp) → the dark damp corner where mould grows.

その主張しゅちょうは根拠こんきょが薄弱はくじゃくだ。

That claim rests on flimsy grounds.

Usage 根拠が薄弱 and 意志薄弱 are all but fixed. Used of grounds and of will, never of physical objects.

Remember it 薄 (thin) + 弱 (weak) → thin and weak with it.

潤沢じゅんたくな資金しきんがあってこそ、長期ちょうき的てきな研究けんきゅうが可能かのうになる。

Only with ample funds does long-term research become possible.

Usage 潤沢な資金, 潤沢な資源 — plentiful. Formal, and usually about money or resources. Opposite: 乏しい.

Remember it 潤 (moisten) + 沢 (marsh) → as full as a marsh with water.

希少きしょうな金属きんぞくの価格かかくが高騰こうとうしている。

The price of rare metals is soaring.

Usage 希少な資源, 希少価値 — the last meaning value that comes from scarcity. More formal than 珍しい.

Remember it 希 (sparse) + 少 (few) → thin on the ground and few of them.

信頼しんらい関係かんけいは交渉こうしょうの成功せいこうに不可欠ふかけつだ。

A relationship of trust is indispensable to successful negotiation.

Usage 〜に不可欠だ. Stronger than 必要. The doubled 必要不可欠 is used for emphasis.

Remember it 不 (not) + 可 (able) + 欠 (lack) → you cannot do without it.

不用意ふよういな発言はつげんが騒動そうどうを招まねいた。

A careless remark caused the uproar.

Usage 不用意な発言, 不用意な行動 — thoughtless in the sense of unprepared. Close to 軽率, but 不用意 stresses the lack of forethought.

Remember it 不 (not) + 用意 (preparation) → said or done with nothing prepared.

貴重きちょうな資料しりょうが机つくえの上うえに無造作むぞうさに置おかれていた。

Valuable documents had been left casually on the desk.

Usage 無造作に置く, 無造作に束ねる. It can be negative, meaning careless, or positive, meaning unaffected — the context decides.

Remember it 無 (without) + 造作 (fuss, contrivance) → done with no fuss made of it.

目先めさきの業績ぎょうせきを追おうあまり、人材じんざい育成いくせいが疎おろそかになっていた。

In chasing short-term results, staff development had been neglected.

Usage 〜を疎かにする, to neglect; 〜が疎かになる, to be neglected. Read おろそか. Do not confuse 疎い (うとい).

Remember it 疎 (sparse, thin) → attention spread so thin that it stops covering it.

厄介やっかいな問題もんだいを後回あとまわしにしたせいで、事態じたいが悪化あっかした。

Putting off the troublesome problem made the situation worse.

Usage 厄介な問題, 厄介な相手. 厄介になる means imposing on someone or lodging with them; 厄介者 is a nuisance of a person.

Remember it 厄 (misfortune) + 介 (get caught in) → caught up in something unlucky.