めんどい

• Reading: めんどい
• Romaji: mendoi
• Pronunciation: /me̞ɴ.do̞.i/

Meaning

Bothersome; tedious; annoying; a pain. Informal contraction expressing that something requires more effort than one wants to give.

A casual contraction of 面倒くさい (mendōkusai — troublesome, tedious) or 面倒だ (mendō da — a hassle). Extremely common in informal speech among younger speakers. めんどい captures the feeling of wanting to avoid an obligation or task due to its perceived effort, not necessarily its difficulty. Used extensively in text messages, social media, and casual conversation. Not appropriate in formal or professional settings.

Examples

1. 今日は雨だし、外出るのめんどいから家でゆっくりしよう。 It's raining today and I can't be bothered going out, so let's just take it easy at home.
2. 書類の手続きが多くてめんどいけど、仕方がない。 There's a lot of paperwork to deal with and it's a pain, but there's nothing I can do about it.
3. 友達の相談に乗るのはいいけど、毎回めんどいなと思うことも正直ある。 I'm happy to listen to my friend's problems, but honestly, sometimes I do find it a bit much.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, youth speech, social media, friends

Tone: lazy, complaining, informal

Origin & History

Informal contraction of 面倒くさい (mendōkusai) or 面倒だ (mendō da). 面倒 (mendō) comes from 面 (men — face, surface) + 倒 (tō — fall, trouble), originally meaning something that overturns or complicates matters.

Cultural Context

Era: Contemporary

Generation: Youth to Young Adult

Social background: General