“Bad” in Japanese is 悪い (わるい), pronounced warui.
Pronunciation
The word has 3 beats (morae), each about the same length. Tap a syllable to hear it, or play the whole word:
How to use it
Bad. 気分が悪い means you feel unwell, and casual 悪い alone can mean “sorry, my bad”.
Example sentences
- 天気が悪いです。てんきがわるいです。The weather is bad.
- 気分が悪いです。きぶんがわるいです。I feel sick.
Conjugation
The most useful forms of 悪い. The rules are explained in い- vs. な-adjectives.
| Form | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 悪い わるい | bad |
| Polite present | 悪いです わるいです | is bad |
| Negative | 悪くないです わるくないです | isn’t bad |
| Past | 悪かったです わるかったです | was bad |
| Past negative | 悪くなかったです わるくなかったです | wasn’t bad |
| て-form | 悪くて わるくて | bad and… |
| Adverb (く) | 悪く わるく | adverb form (+ verb) |
Quick practice
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Related words: Adjectives
暑いhot (weather)熱いhot (to the touch)寒いcold (weather)冷たいcold (to the touch)高いexpensive安いcheap長いlong短いshort
FAQ
How do you say bad in Japanese?
Bad in Japanese is 悪い (わるい), pronounced “warui”.
How do you write bad in Japanese?
It's written 悪い with kanji, or わるい in hiragana. Both are read warui.
Is 悪い on the JLPT?
Yes. 悪い (warui) is a common word at JLPT N5 level, so it's worth learning early.