Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 残酷 | zankoku | [d͡zã̠ŋko̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 酷い | hidoi | [mɯ̟ɡo̞i] (narrow) |
| 残忍 | zannin | [d͡zã̠ɲ̟ːĩɴ] (narrow) |
The Japanese language uses different terms for 'cruel' depending on whether you are describing a person's bloodthirsty nature, an abstract concept like fate or simply something that is very bad or harsh.
Which one should you use?
While 残酷 and 残忍 refer to cruelty in a moral or physical sense, 酷い is much more common in daily conversation to describe things that are simply 'terrible' or 'awful', such as bad weather or a mean person. Within the more serious terms, 残酷 is often used for abstract concepts like 'cruel fate' or 'cruel reality', whereas 残忍 focuses more specifically on the bloodthirsty or sadistic nature of a person's actions. Furthermore, 残忍 carries a stronger connotation of bloodthirstiness and physical ruthlessness compared to the more general 残酷.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because 残酷 is a na-adjective, you must add な when it directly modifies a noun, such as 残酷な運命 (cruel fate). In contrast, because 酷い is an i-adjective, it modifies nouns directly without needing an extra particle, such as 酷い天気 (terrible weather).
How do you pronounce it?
zankoku
Did you know?
- While 酷い means 'cruel' or 'terrible', it is frequently used as a compliment in slang to mean 'insanely good' or 'unbelievable', similar to how 'wicked' is used in some English dialects.
- The kanji 酷 in 酷い can also be read as koku, which appears in the word 酷暑 meaning 'extreme heat', describing weather that is 'cruelly' hot.
- The kanji in 残忍 (zannin) contains the character for 'human' or 'person' (人), which visually links the concept of ruthlessness to human behavior.
Examples in context
- かつて残忍な王様がいた。Once upon a time, there lived a cruel king.This sentence shows how to use 残忍 to describe a king.Tatoeba #226329 by arnab, translation #63669 by CM
- 運命は時として残酷である。Destiny is sometimes cruel.This sentence illustrates the use of 残酷 with an abstract concept like destiny.Tatoeba #189384 by bunbuku, translation #26535 by CK
- 民衆は残酷な暴君によって虐げられていた。The people suffered under the cruel tyrant.This sentence demonstrates how 残酷 can describe a tyrant.Tatoeba #81012 by wat, translation #322703 by CM
- 辣腕の経営者は冷酷な決断を下した。The talented executive made a cruel decision.
- ひどい人間には関わらない方がいいよ。It is better not to associate with cruel people.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a sad movie they just watched.
- 美咲 Misakiあの映画の結末は残酷だったね。Ano eiga no ketsumatsu wa zankoku datta ne.The ending of that movie was cruel.
- 陽太 Yotaうん、本当に残酷な物語だった。Un, hontō ni zankoku na monogatari datta.Yeah, it was a truly cruel story.
- 美咲 Misaki悲しすぎて、少し怖かったよ。Kanashisugite, sukoshi kowakatta yo.It was too sad and a little scary.
- 陽太 Yota美咲の気持ちはよくわかるよ。Misaki no kimochi wa yoku wakaru yo.I understand how you feel, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cruel” translations and entries 残酷, 酷い, 残忍, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
