悪い
warui[β̞a̠ɾɯ̟i]
The English phrase "my bad" can be translated into Japanese as 悪い (warui).
When used as an apology, 悪い is used to acknowledge a minor mistake or to soften a request, rather than for serious transgressions.
Meaning: my fault (intj)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using 悪い as a standalone exclamation to mean "my bad" is highly informal and typically used among close friends or peers. For a more polite and formal apology, you can add です to the end. In formal situations where you are apologizing for a specific act of rudeness or discourtesy, use 失礼しました. For casual contexts, the shortened version ごめん is also commonly used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase 悪いね is a colloquial and casual expression frequently used in the Tokyo area.
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense form 悪かった is used to express an apology for a mistake that has already occurred, equivalent to "my bad".
How do you pronounce it?
warui
Did you know?
- In Japanese, saying 悪い to a superior could be seen as extremely arrogant, even if you only mean 'my bad', because it focuses on your own state rather than the inconvenience caused to them.
- While it translates to 'bad', the root of 悪い shares an unexpected linguistic connection to the word まるい, which means 'round'.
- While 悪い means 'bad', it is often used as a 'social lubricant' to apologize for things that are not actually the speaker's fault, such as asking someone to move slightly to let you pass.
Examples in context
- 悪いけど、車のキー取って。My bad but could you pickup the car key.This sentence shows how 悪い can be used to soften a request.Tatoeba #11110304 by small_snow, translation #13731097 by terrywallwork
- たちの悪い風邪の治りが悪くてね。I haven't gotten rid of my bad cold yet.This sentence demonstrates the word 悪い used to describe a bad cold.Tatoeba #9639558 by bunbuku, translation #1449751 by CK
- 悪かった。My bad.This sentence shows the use of the past tense form 悪かった for an apology.
Example conversation
Kenta accidentally bumps into Misaki in the hallway.
- 健太 Kentaあ、ごめん！俺が悪かった。A, gomen! Ore ga warukatta.Oh, sorry! My bad.
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ。気にしないで。Ii yo. Ki ni shinaide.It's okay. Don't worry about it.
- 健太 Kenta本当に悪い。大丈夫？Hontou ni warui. Daijoubu?I'm really sorry. Are you okay?
- 美咲 Misaki大丈夫だよ、健太君。Daijoubu dayo, Kenta-kun.I'm fine, Kenta.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 悪い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 悪い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
