不公平

• Reading: ふこうへい
• Romaji: fukouhei
• Kanji breakdown: 不 (fu) — not; 公 (kou) — public; 平 (hei) — flat, even
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.koː.he.i/

Meaning

Unfair; unjust; partial. Describes treatment or situations that lack equality.

A na-adjective formed by adding the negative prefix 不 to 公平 (fair). Used to express frustration or criticism about biased treatment: 不公平な扱い (unfair treatment), 不公平だと思う (I think it is unfair). Common in everyday complaints as well as formal discourse.

Examples

1. 給料に差があるのは不公平だと思う。 I think it's unfair that there's a gap in salaries.
2. 不公平なルールに対して抗議が起きた。 Protests arose against the unfair rules.
3. 一人だけ宿題が多いのは不公平だ。 It's unfair that only one person has more homework.

Usage Guide

Context: society, workplace, daily life

Tone: critical

Origin & History

Compound of 不 (fu, not) and 公平 (kouhei, fairness). Together, 'not fair' — a direct negation expressing inequality or bias.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal