How to say "futile" in Japanese

• 徒あだCommon
  na-adjective, nounDescribes efforts or hopes that prove vain and come to nothing, with an added shade of transience or frivolity; it often appears in the phrase あだになる, 'to prove futile'.
• 無用むようJLPT N1approx.Common
  na-adjective, nounStresses that something is of no use or serves no purpose — literally 'without use' — so it suits effort or things that accomplish nothing, rather than emotionally felt futility.
  電気でんきのために、ろうそくは我々われわれの生活せいかつにほとんど無用むようになった。↗

  Electricity made candles of little use in our life.
• 無益むえきCommon
  na-adjective, no-adjectiveEmphasizes the absence of benefit or gain — literally 'no profit' — fitting effort, struggle, or advice that brings no advantage and accomplishes nothing of value.
  自分じぶんが生いきている世界せかいとの共感きょうかんがなければ、作家さっかであることは無益むえきである。↗

  It is no use being a writer if one is not in sympathy with the world in which one is living.
• どうにもならないCommon
  expression, i-adjectiveA sentence-level expression, usually written in kana alone, meaning 'nothing can be done': it describes situations, conditions, or people that are hopeless or beyond help, where no effort will change anything.
  今いまさら騒さわいでもどうにもならないよ。後あとの祭まつりだよ。↗

  Yelling about it won't help now. You should have done that when it counted.
• 虚しいむなしいJLPT N1approx.Common
  i-adjectiveColors futility with a sense of emptiness: striving or effort that ends in nothing and leaves you feeling it was all in vain; also covers efforts that prove ineffective or fruitless.
  彼かれは多おおくの日々ひびをむなしく過すごさなければならなかった。↗

  He had to spend many barren days.

Use 無用 for something of no use, 無益 for effort that brings no benefit, 「虚しい」 for striving felt as empty and vain, 徒 for efforts that prove vain or transient, and 「どうにもならない」 for hopeless situations beyond help.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 徒あだvain
• 無用むようuseless
• 無益むえきuseless
• どうにもならないhopeless
• ポコペンimpossible
• 虚しいむなしいvain
• 賽の河原さいのかわらfutile