Japanese word

まずい

Pronunciation

Romajimazui

Meaning

  • i-adjectivebad

Example

この料理はまずいです。ko no ryō ri wa ma zu i de su

This dish tastes bad.

Illustration for まずい (bad)

More examples

その考えはまずいです。so no kanga e wa ma zu i de su

That idea is bad.

買ったパンが少しまずかったです。ka tta pa n ga suko shi ma zu ka tta de su

The bread I bought tasted a little bad.

Core concept

Marks food as unpleasant to eat because its taste is poor, not because it is defective in every way.

Common phrases

  • まずい料理ma zu i ryō ri

    bad-tasting dish

  • まずい食べ物ma zu i ta be mono

    bad-tasting food

Similar words

味気ないajikenai: Describes food or drink whose taste is weak, plain, or lacking in interest.

Definition in Japanese

食べ物などの味が悪く、口に合わない。ta be mono na do no aji ga waru ku kuchi ni a wa na i

Word origin

The adjective まずい (mazui) is related to older まずし (mazushi), whose broad meaning was "bad" or "poor"; Japanese later used it specifically for unpleasant taste.

Usage tips

  • In casual conversation, まずい (mazui) is a direct but ordinary reaction to a meal, so it can sound stronger than a mild complaint about the seasoning.

Opposites

Related words

  • まずさmazusabad tastenoun

Word lists with this word