Japanese word

油断

Pronunciation

Romajiyudan

Meaning

  • nouncarelessness

Example

大事な発表なので、油断しません。dai ji na hap pyō na no de yu dan shi ma se n

I will not let my guard down because it is an important presentation.

Illustration for 油断 (carelessness)

More examples

勝ったと思った瞬間に油断してしまいました。ka tta to omo tta shun kan ni yu dan shi te shi ma i ma shi ta

I let my guard down the moment I thought I had won.

Core concept

Expresses the state of relaxing one's vigilance so that a situation is handled less carefully than it requires.

Common phrases

  • 油断するyu dan su ru

    let one's guard down

  • 油断禁物yu dan kin motsu

    no room for carelessness

  • 油断なくyu dan na ku

    without letting one's guard down

Similar words

不注意fuchūi: A lack of care or attention that causes mistakes or oversights.
放心hōshin: A state of losing awareness of one's surroundings or responsibilities.
不用心fuyōjin: A lack of caution that leaves a person or place open to trouble.
慢心manshin: A feeling of excessive confidence in one's ability or position that weakens caution.

Definition in Japanese

注意を払うべき場面で気を緩め、必要な備えをしないこと。chū i o hara u be ki ba men de ki o yuru me hitsu yō na sona e o shi na i ko to

Word origin

油断 (yudan) combines 油 (yu, "oil") with 断 (dan, "cut off"); a traditional Buddhist story about guarding a bowl of oil is often linked to the compound's meaning.

Usage tips

  • In conversation, 油断大敵 (yudantai teki, "carelessness is the greatest enemy") is a familiar fixed warning that encourages continued vigilance.

Other meanings

  • negligencenoun
  • unpreparednessnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word