消極的|しょうきょくてきshoukyokuteki
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- na-adjectivenegative; passive; half-hearted; unmotivated
Conjugation
| Plain form | 消極的(しょうきょくてき) |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 消極的です(しょうきょくてきです) |
| Negative (dewa nai) | 消極的ではない(しょうきょくてきではない) |
| polite (dewa arimasen) | 消極的ではありません(しょうきょくてきではありません) |
| Past (datta) | 消極的だった(しょうきょくてきだった) |
| Past negative (dewa nakatta) | 消極的ではなかった(しょうきょくてきではなかった) |
| Te form (de) | 消極的で(しょうきょくてきで) |
| Adverbial (ni) | 消極的に(しょうきょくてきに) |
| Conditional (nara) | 消極的なら(しょうきょくてきなら) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- SynonymネガティブNeutralCommon loanword for negative thinking or a negative take on things; frequent in speech. 「消極的」 is about not acting or engaging proactively.
- RelatedペシミスティックWrittenWritten loanword meaning 'pessimistic', the outlook of a pessimist. 「消極的」 puts the weight on not taking action or initiative.
- Related悲観的ひかんてきNeutralNeutral word for a gloomy view of what lies ahead. 「消極的」 focuses mainly on an unproactive attitude or way of acting.
- Related受動的じゅどうてきWrittenWritten, somewhat academic word for passively receiving things, as in 「受動的な学習」. 「消極的」 carries an evaluative nuance.
- Related厭世的えんせいてきWrittenWritten word for weariness with life itself — far deeper than pessimism. 「消極的」 mainly means unproactive; it can also mean mere absence, as in 「消極的理由」.
- Related不活発ふかっぱつNeutralNeutral word for being inactive or sluggish — used of people, bodily functions, markets, discussions. 「消極的」 is about attitude, not liveliness.
- RelatedパッシブNeutralLoanword for 'passive', used mostly in technical contexts like 「パッシブセンサー」. 「消極的」 is the ordinary word for an unproactive attitude.
- Related否定的ひていてきNeutralNeutral word for being negative in the sense of disapproving or opposed, as in 「否定的な意見」. 「消極的」 centers on not being proactive.
- Antonym積極的せっきょくてきNeutralAntonym on the attitude axis: positive and proactive, acting on one's own initiative, where 「消極的」 means holding back.
- Antonym能動的のうどうてきWrittenWritten antonym on the active–passive axis: acting on one's own initiative, as opposed to the passivity of 「消極的」.
Use 「消極的」 for an unproactive attitude or manner of acting. For negative thinking pick 「ネガティブ」, for a pessimistic outlook 「悲観的」 (in writing 「ペシミスティック」), and for passively receiving 「受動的」. 「厭世的」 goes further: weariness with life itself. The opposites are 「積極的」 and 「能動的」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


