Japanese word

悪

Pronunciation

Romajiaku

Meaning

  • nounevil

Example

正義は悪に勝ちます。sei gi wa aku ni ka chi ma su

Justice defeats evil.

Illustration for 悪 (evil)

More examples

彼は悪に染まらず、正しい道を選びました。kare wa aku ni so ma ra zu tada shi i michi o era bi ma shi ta

He did not become corrupted and chose the right path.

Core concept

Describes a force, act, or condition judged morally wrong and harmful, often in contrast with justice.

Common phrases

  • 悪に染まるaku ni so ma ru

    become corrupted

  • 悪を避けるaku o sa ke ru

    avoid evil

  • 悪と戦うaku to tataka u

    fight evil

Similar words

邪悪jaaku: A deeply harmful quality that makes something morally wrong.
悪事akuji: A wrong deed that breaks accepted moral standards.
悪行akugyō: A grave wrongdoing, often involving harm to others.
不正fusei: Wrong conduct involving dishonesty, unfairness, or rule breaking.

Definition in Japanese

正義に反し、人や社会に害をもたらす事柄や行い。sei gi ni han shi hito ya sha kai ni gai o mo ta ra su koto gara ya okona i

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese noun 悪 (aku, "evil") uses the Chinese-derived character 悪, whose core meaning is "bad" or "evil".

Usage tips

  • The English translation evil commonly appears in the fixed phrase good and evil, which presents 悪 (aku, "evil") as a broad moral force rather than a single harmful act.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word