How to say "irresponsible" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- いい加減いいかげんna-adjectiveCovers the plainly irresponsible person or attitude: someone who takes nothing seriously and handles matters carelessly. It also describes work done in a perfunctory, half-hearted way.いいかげんな話はやめろ。↗Don't give me that!
- 適当てきとうna-adjective, nounCovers careless, half-minded effort: doing or answering something perfunctorily, sloppily, lazily, just to be done with it. The word also means 'appropriate,' so context decides whether it is a compliment or a criticism.
- 安易あんいna-adjective, nounCovers the irresponsibility of taking the easy way: an easygoing, lighthearted attitude that settles for the simple option without weighing the consequences. It often describes a way of thinking as too easy or simplistic.
Use 「いい加減」 for a careless, unreliable attitude or person, 適当 for doing things in a perfunctory, sloppy, half-minded way, and 安易 for irresponsibly taking the easy, simplistic option.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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