Japanese word

手抜き

Pronunciation

Romajitenuki

Meaning

  • nouncutting corners

Example

私の父は仕事で手抜きをしません。watashi no chichi wa shi goto de te nu ki o shi ma se n

My father does not cut corners at work.

Illustration for 手抜き (cutting corners)

More examples

急いでいても、作業で手抜きをしてはいけません。iso i de i te mo sa gyō de te nu ki o shi te wa i ke ma se n

Even when you are in a hurry, you must not cut corners in your work.

Core concept

Expresses the withdrawal of care or effort from a task, leaving necessary work incomplete or below standard.

Common phrases

  • 手抜きをするte nu ki o su ru

    cut corners

  • 手抜き工事te nu ki kō ji

    shoddy construction

Similar words

怠慢taiman: Refers to failing to give a duty the care or effort it requires.
省略shōryaku: Refers to leaving out part of a task or process, whether or not the omission causes a problem.
横着ōchaku: Refers to avoiding effort by choosing an easier way of doing something.
手落ちteochi: Refers to an omission or oversight that leaves work incomplete or causes a defect.

Definition in Japanese

手間を惜しんで必要な作業を省き、仕上がりを不十分にすること。te ma o o shi n de hitsu yō na sa gyō o habu ki shi a ga ri o fu jū bun ni su ru ko to

Word origin

手抜き (tenuki) is the noun form of 手を抜く (te o nuku), combining 手 (te, "hand") with 抜く (nuku, "pull out") to suggest taking one's hand away from a task.

Usage tips

  • 手抜き (tenuki) applies to both the act of omitting necessary work and the defective result, so its meaning can cover a process as well as its quality.

Other meanings

  • shoddy worknoun

Opposites

  • 丁寧さteineisacarefulnessnoun
  • 入念さnyūnensathoroughnessnoun

Word lists with this word