English–Japanese

“mess up” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajishikujiru

Example

試験でしくじりました。shi ken de shi ku ji ri ma shi ta

I messed up on the test.

Illustration for しくじる (mess up)

How to say “mess up” in Japanese

“Mess up” in Japanese is しくじる (shikujiru).

Describes making a mistake that causes an attempt or situation to go badly.

Full entry for しくじる: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with しくじる

早く話しすぎて、交渉でしくじってしまいました。haya ku hana shi su gi te kō shō de shi ku ji tte shi ma i ma shi ta

I messed up the negotiation by speaking too soon.

Tips for using しくじる

  • In casual Japanese, しくじる (shikujiru) often describes a personal mistake, while 失敗する (shippai suru) is more neutral and widely usable.

“mess up” in other languages