面倒くさい

• Reading: めんどうくさい
• Romaji: mendokusai
• Kanji breakdown: 面 (men) — face, surface; 倒 (dou) — collapse, fall over
• Pronunciation: /meɴ.doː.kɯ.sai/

Meaning

Bothersome; tiresome; what a pain. Expresses reluctance toward something tedious or troublesome.

An i-adjective and one of the most commonly used complaint words in Japanese. A stronger, more colloquial version of 面倒 (mendou, troublesome). Often shortened to めんどくさい or even めんどい in casual speech. Used both for tasks (面倒くさい手続き, tedious paperwork) and situations (説明するのが面倒くさい, can't be bothered to explain).

Examples

1. 毎回パスワードを入力するのが面倒くさい。 It's such a pain to enter my password every single time.
2. 面倒くさいけど、やらないともっと大変になる。 It's a pain, but if I don't do it, things will get even harder.
3. 引っ越しの手続きが面倒くさくて後回しにしている。 The moving paperwork is such a hassle that I keep putting it off.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, complaints, work

Tone: negative

Origin & History

Compound of 面倒 (mendou, trouble/bother) + くさい (kusai, smelling of). Literally 'reeking of trouble' — the task stinks of effort and hassle.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal