雑

• Reading: ざつ
• Romaji: zatsu
• Kanji breakdown: 雑 (zatsu/zou) — miscellaneous, mixed, rough, crude
• Pronunciation: /za.tsɯ/

Meaning

Rough; crude; sloppy; messy. Describes work or behaviour that lacks care and precision.

A na-adjective describing something done carelessly, without attention to detail or quality. Can apply to work (雑な仕事 — sloppy work), behaviour (雑な扱い — rough handling), personality (雑な性格 — careless personality), or physical things (雑な字 — messy handwriting). A common, casual criticism in everyday life. The noun form 雑さ (roughness) is also used. Despite being negative, it is a relatively mild criticism compared to いい加減 (irresponsible).

Examples

1. 彼の仕事はいつも雑でミスが多い。 His work is always sloppy and full of mistakes.
2. 雑に扱うと壊れるから気をつけて。 Be careful — if you handle it roughly, it'll break.
3. もう少し丁寧に書いてほしい、字が雑すぎる。 I wish you'd write a little more carefully; your handwriting is way too messy.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, work, criticism

Tone: critical

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 雑 (zatsu/zou, miscellaneous/mixed/rough). The kanji combines 衣 (clothing) and elements suggesting things jumbled together. Its original meaning of 'mixed/miscellaneous' extended to 'disorderly' and then to 'rough/careless.'

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal