拙い

• 読み: つたない
• ローマ字: tsutanai
• 漢字の分解: 拙 (setsu/tsutana) — clumsy, unskillful, poor
• 発音: /tsɯ.ta.na.i/

意味

Poor-quality; unskillful; clumsy. Describes something lacking in skill or refinement.

An i-adjective meaning unskillful, crude, or of poor quality. Often used self-deprecatingly to describe one's own abilities — 拙い文章 (my poor writing), 拙い日本語 (my clumsy Japanese). This humble, self-effacing usage is very common in formal settings. Can also objectively describe something poorly made or executed. Conjugates like standard i-adjectives: 拙くない, 拙かった.

例文

1. 拙い日本語ですが一生懸命伝えようとした。
2. 拙い文章で申し訳ありませんが最後まで読んでください。
3. 子供の拙い絵が冷蔵庫に貼ってある。

使い方ガイド

場面: self-introduction, formal writing, speeches

トーン: humble

起源と歴史

From Old Japanese. The kanji 拙 (setsu/tsutana) means 'clumsy' or 'unskillful,' originally contrasted with 巧 (takumi, skillful). Long used in literary and formal contexts for self-deprecation.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Educated