悪い

• Reading: わるい
• Romaji: warui
• Kanji breakdown: 悪 (waru/aku) — bad, evil, poor
• Pronunciation: /wa.ɾɯ.i/

Meaning

Bad; poor; undesirable. The antonym of 良い/いい.

An i-adjective describing something negative in quality, condition, or morality. Commonly used for weather (天気が悪い), health (気分が悪い), and as a casual apology (悪いけど meaning 'sorry but'). Conjugates regularly: 悪くない, 悪かった, 悪くなかった.

Examples

1. 今日は天気が悪いです。 The weather is bad today.
2. すみません、悪いですが、ドアを閉めてください。 Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you close the door?
3. 昨日は気分が悪かったです。 I felt sick yesterday.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, weather, health

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 悪 combines 亜 (sub-, secondary) with 心 (heart), suggesting an inferior or unpleasant state of mind.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal