悪賢い・悪がしこい|わるがしこいwarugashikoi[5]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
悪賢い悪賢い is the more common written form, with a kanji-and-kana spelling; use it when this spelling is encountered.
悪がしこい悪がしこい is less common than 悪賢い, but its kanji-and-kana spelling is the recommended choice for beginners to use.
Definitions
- i-adjectivecunning; crafty; wily; sly
Conjugation
| Plain form | 悪賢い（わるがしこい） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 悪賢いです（わるがしこいです） |
| Negative (kunai) | 悪賢くない（わるがしこくない） |
| polite (ku arimasen) | 悪賢くありません（わるがしこくありません） |
| Past (katta) | 悪賢かった（わるがしこかった） |
| Past negative (kunakatta) | 悪賢くなかった（わるがしこくなかった） |
| Te form (kute) | 悪賢くて（わるがしこくて） |
| Adverbial (ku) | 悪賢く（わるがしこく） |
| Conditional (kereba) | 悪賢ければ（わるがしこければ） |
| kattara | 悪賢かったら（わるがしこかったら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- SynonymずるいCasualThe everyday colloquial choice: unfair or sneaky, as in 「ずるい！」. Milder than 「悪賢い」, and also used to whine or protest playfully.
- Synonymずる賢いずるがしこいNeutralPetty cleverness used to gain an advantage; nearly interchangeable with 「悪賢い」, though a touch more colloquial.
- SynonymこすっからいCasualColloquial for petty, calculating trickery; carries a stingy, small-minded nuance.
- Synonym狡猾こうかつWrittenA Sino-Japanese word for sly, deceitful conduct, at home in written or formal prose, as in 「狡猾な手口」.
- Synonym老獪ろうかいWrittenCraftiness seasoned by long experience; describes wily veterans, as in 「老獪な政治家」.
- Synonym怜悧狡猾れいりこうかつWrittenA four-character idiom for clever yet cunning behavior; literary in flavor and rarely used.
- SynonymこすからいCasualA colloquial variant of 「狡っ辛い」, for sly behavior tinged with stinginess.
- Antonym純真じゅんしんNeutralAntonym: pure and innocent, the opposite of being full of guile.
- Antonym正直しょうじきNeutralAntonym: honest and straightforward, the opposite of sly, deceitful scheming.
In everyday speech 「ずるい」 or 「ずる賢い」 is the default; 「悪賢い」 stresses cleverness turned to bad ends. Use 「狡猾」 in written or formal prose, 「老獪」 for craftiness born of long experience, and 「純真」 or 「正直」 for the opposite qualities.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
- 悪いことによく頭が回る。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
