Japanese word

悪さ

Pronunciation

Romajiwarusa

Meaning

  • nounmischief

Example

弟の悪さに困っています。otōto no waru sa ni koma tte i ma su

I am having trouble with my younger brother's mischief.

Illustration for 悪さ (mischief)

More examples

弟は悪さをした後で、すぐに先生に謝りました。otōto wa waru sa o shi ta ato de su gu ni sen sei ni ayama ri ma shi ta

After causing trouble, my younger brother apologized to his teacher right away.

Core concept

Describes conduct that departs from expected behavior and causes harm, trouble, or disapproval.

Common phrases

  • 悪さをするwaru sa o su ru

    cause trouble

  • 悪さをやめるwaru sa o ya me ru

    stop causing trouble

  • 悪さが過ぎるwaru sa ga su gi ru

    take one's mischief too far

Similar words

いたずらitazura: A small act of misbehavior that may amuse the actor while troubling someone else.
悪事akuji: An act of wrongdoing that is viewed as morally or socially unacceptable.
悪ふざけwarufuzake: Excessively playful conduct that annoys or upsets other people.

Definition in Japanese

してはいけないことをすることや、そのような振る舞い。shi te wa i ke na i ko to o su ru ko to ya so no yō na fu ru ma i

Word origin

悪さ (warusa) comes from the native adjective 悪い (warui, "bad") combined with the suffix さ (sa, "degree or state"), which turns the quality into a noun.

Usage tips

  • The meaning of 悪さ (warusa) ranges from playful misbehavior to wrongdoing, so the surrounding situation determines how serious it sounds.

Other meanings

  • wrongdoingnoun
  • badnessnoun

Opposites

  • 善行zenkōgood deednoun

Word lists with this word