まし・増しmashi[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. na-adjectivebetter; preferable; less objectionable; least-worstesp. マシ
    彼女かのじょは会社かいしゃの床ゆか掃除そうじよりましな仕事しごとを望のぞんだ。↗
    She wanted a better job than cleaning office floors.
  2. noun (suffix)more; increase; extra
    非ひ会員かいいんは50ドル増ましとなります。↗
    Non-members pay an additional 50 dollars.
  3. nounincrease; growth
Conjugation
Plain formまし
Polite (desu)ましです
Negative (dewa nai)ましではない
polite (dewa arimasen)ましではありません
Past (datta)ましだった
Past negative (dewa nakatta)ましではなかった
Te form (de)ましで
Adverbial (ni)ましに
Conditional (nara)ましなら

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • SynonymベターNeutralA loanword meaning somewhat better, as in 「ベターな選択」; common in speech and free of the reluctant, least-bad nuance of 「増し」.
  • Synonymより良いよりよいNeutralA phrase for something genuinely better, positive and somewhat written in tone; 「増し」 often means only barely better than the alternative.

Use 「増し」 for the least-bad option when weighing two evils, as in 「ないよりは増し」. For something genuinely better use 「より良い」; in casual speech 「ベター」 is the natural pick.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 増ますこと。
  2. 理想的りそうてきではないが他ほかよりかは優すぐれていること。
  3. 理想的りそうてきではないが他ほかよりかは優すぐれているさま。
  4. ますの連用形れんようけい。
English equivalents
See also

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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