Japanese word

欠点

Pronunciation

Romajiketten

Meaning

  • nounweakness

Example

私の欠点は忘れっぽいことです。watashi no ket ten wa wasu re ppo i ko to de su

My weakness is that I am forgetful.

Illustration for 欠点 (weakness)

More examples

この製品の欠点は、値段が高いことです。ko no sei hin no ket ten wa ne dan ga taka i ko to de su

The drawback of this product is that it is expensive.

Core concept

Describes a specific point where a person or thing falls short of what is expected.

Common phrases

  • 欠点があるket ten ga a ru

    have a weakness

  • 欠点を見つけるket ten o mi tsu ke ru

    find a flaw

  • 欠点を指摘するket ten o shi teki su ru

    point out a flaw

Similar words

弱点jakuten: A vulnerable point or area of limited ability that can cause difficulty.
短所tansho: A negative trait or limitation in a person's character or abilities.
難点nanten: A problematic feature that makes a person or thing less satisfactory or harder to use.

Definition in Japanese

人や物事に備わっている、望ましくない性質や足りないところ。hito ya mono goto ni sona wa tte i ru nozo ma shi ku na i sei shitsu ya ta ri na i to ko ro

Word origin

欠点 (ketten) combines 欠 (ketsu, "lack") and 点 (ten, "point"), forming the idea of a point of lack.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 欠点 (ketten) can describe both a person's shortcoming and a practical defect in a thing, so its subject need not be a person.

Other meanings

  • drawbacknoun
  • flawnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word