How to say "crafty" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 悪賢いわるがしこいi-adjectiveCovers the cunning, wily sense of 'crafty': shrewd trickery with a distinctly wicked edge. Typical of a fox-like schemer or a swindler who plots to deceive people. Stronger disapproval than ずるい.
- i-adjectiveMatches 'crafty' in its plainest sense of sneaky and sly, but usually it just means unfair or cheating in everyday situations, like a child objecting to a friend's unfair move. Often what you want for casual 'that's not fair!' rather than calculated cunning.
- ずる賢いずるがしこいi-adjectiveCovers 'crafty' as devious, underhanded cleverness: getting one's way by sneaky, self-serving tricks. Fits a conniving colleague or schemer who seems clever but not honorable, with a nuance of sneaky ingenuity.
For 'crafty' meaning sly and cunning, 「悪賢い」 stresses wicked wiliness, 「ずる賢い」 stresses sneaky cleverness, and 「ずるい」 is the everyday word for unfair, sneaky behavior.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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