狡賢い・ずる賢い|ずるがしこいzurugashikoi
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Which spelling to use
ずる賢いずる賢い is the more common spelling and the recommended choice for beginners; it describes someone or something as devious, cunning, sly, or crafty.
狡賢い狡賢い is a less common spelling of ずる賢い with the same meaning; learners are more likely to encounter ずる賢い.
Definitions
- i-adjectivedevious; cunning; sly; crafty
Conjugation
| Plain form | 狡賢い（ずるがしこい） |
|---|---|
| Polite (desu) | 狡賢いです（ずるがしこいです） |
| Negative (kunai) | 狡賢くない（ずるがしこくない） |
| polite (ku arimasen) | 狡賢くありません（ずるがしこくありません） |
| Past (katta) | 狡賢かった（ずるがしこかった） |
| Past negative (kunakatta) | 狡賢くなかった（ずるがしこくなかった） |
| Te form (kute) | 狡賢くて（ずるがしこくて） |
| Adverbial (ku) | 狡賢く（ずるがしこく） |
| Conditional (kereba) | 狡賢ければ（ずるがしこければ） |
| kattara | 狡賢かったら（ずるがしこかったら） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- SynonymずるいCasualMost common in speech: it calls out unfair, sneaky behaviour, as in 「ずるい！」. It stresses being underhand, while 「ずる賢い」 stresses a wicked mind and scheming.
- Synonym悪賢いわるがしこいNeutralCleverness turned to bad ends; almost interchangeable with 「ずる賢い」, though slightly more written in flavour.
- Synonym狡猾こうかつWrittenA Sino-Japanese word for sly, deceitful conduct, at home in written/formal prose, as in 「狡猾な手口」.
- Synonym老獪ろうかいWrittenWritten term for the cunning of a wily veteran, as in 「老獪な政治家」; it stresses shrewdness gained through long experience.
- RelatedこすっからいCasualColloquial for petty, small-scale slyness; it carries a stingy, penny-pinching nuance.
- RelatedトリッキーNeutralA loanword for something tricky — hard to predict or full of tricks; unlike 「ずる賢い」, it need not carry moral blame.
- Related怜悧狡猾れいりこうかつWrittenA four-character idiom for clever, crafty deceit; written in style and rarely used.
- RelatedこすからいCasualColloquial for small-minded, stingy slyness; synonymous with 「こすっからい」.
- Antonym正直しょうじきNeutralHonesty and frankness — the direct opposite of the small-cunning, advantage-seeking 「ずる賢い」.
- Antonym純真じゅんしんNeutralPurity and innocence of heart — the opposite of 「ずる賢い」's crafty, deceitful nature.
Use 「ずる賢い」 for devious cleverness used to gain an advantage, as in 「ずる賢いやり方」. In everyday speech 「ずるい」 is the natural choice; in written prose prefer 「狡猾」. For the cunning of a seasoned operator, use 「老獪」; 「悪賢い」 is a near-equivalent with a slightly more written feel.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
