How to say "foul" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 汚いきたないi-adjectiveCovers the literal sense of foul as dirty, filthy, or unclean: foul water, a foul smell, a foul room. It is the everyday adjective for things that are physically disgusting or unclean.
- 反則はんそくnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA foul as a violation of the rules, chiefly in sports and games. It names the rule-breaking itself rather than the physical dirtiness, so use it when a play or move is judged illegal.
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe loanword for a foul in sports, especially baseball, as in a foul ball or foul tip. When you specifically mean the umpire's call or the baseball term, this is the word to reach for.
- 不純ふじゅんna-adjective, nounFoul in the sense of impure or adulterated: mixed or contaminated substances, and figuratively impure motives. It suits describing something tainted by mixture or bad intent rather than physically filthy.
- 卑劣ひれつna-adjective, nounFoul as morally base or despicable: a foul deed, a foul trick, a low blow. It condemns sneaky, contemptible behavior, and is the natural choice for foul play in the ethical sense.
Choose 「汚い」 for physically dirty or repulsive things, 反則 and 「ファウル」 for rule violations in sports, 不純 for impure motives or substances, and 卑劣 for morally despicable behavior.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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