まずい
mazui
The English phrase "not delicious" is expressed in Japanese as まずい (mazui).
まずい is used to describe food or drink that tastes bad. Beyond taste, it can also be used to describe a situation that is bad, problematic or risky.
Which one should you use?
まずい and うまくない are both informal ways to say something is not tasty.
How does it change in a sentence?
The negative form of the i-adjective まずい is まずくない, meaning "is not delicious".
How do you pronounce it?
mazui
Did you know?
- While まずい describes a bad taste, the word まずい can also be used as an exclamation when you have been caught doing something wrong, similar to saying 'Uh oh' or 'This is bad' in English.
- In Japanese social etiquette, people rarely use まずい to a host's face. Instead, they might use a vague phrase or a facial expression to avoid the directness of this word.
- While まずい describes a bad taste, it can sound much harsher and more blunt than the softer, more polite おいしくない, which simply means 'not delicious'.
Examples in context
- おいしくありませんNot delicious.
- この料理、まずいThis dish is not delicious.
- このビーフステーキ、うまくないThis beef steak is not tasty.
- このスープは少しまずい。Kono suupu wa sukoshi mazui.This soup is a little bad-tasting.
- まずい料理は食べたくない。Mazui ryouri wa tabetakunai.I don't want to eat bad-tasting food.
- 見た目はいいけど、まずいね。Mitame wa ii kedo, mazui ne.It looks good, but it tastes bad.
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are trying a new dish at a restaurant.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、これどう？Kenta, kore dou?Kenta, how is this?
- 健太 Kenta正直、ちょっとまずいよ。Shoujiki, chotto mazui yo.To be honest, it's a bit bad-tasting.
- 陽葵 Himari本当？私も食べてみる。Hontou? Watashi mo tabete miru.Really? I'll try it too.
- 健太 Kentaあまりおすすめできないな。Amari osusume dekinai na.I can't really recommend it.
