ずるい
zurui[d͡zɨɾɯ̟i]
The Japanese phrase for "not fair" is ずるい (zurui).
ずるい is used to complain when someone has an unfair advantage or behaves dishonestly to win. Beyond just being unfair in a competitive sense, it also carries the nuance of being "sneaky" or "cunning."
How does it change in a sentence?
ずるい is an i-adjective, which means it can be used to end a sentence or be used directly to modify a noun. To express that an action in the past was unfair or sneaky, use the past tense form ずるかった.
How do you pronounce it?
zurui
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, calling a person ずるい can be a form of playful teasing in a romantic relationship. It is used when a partner does something charming or irresistibly clever to get their way.
- In Japanese, ずるい can be used as a high compliment to describe someone who is exceptionally clever or has a 'god-tier' talent that seems almost unfair. While it usually implies dishonesty, it can express awe at someone's overwhelming skill.
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, characters often elongate the word to ずるーい (zurūi) to emphasize a whining or childish tone when feeling cheated.
Examples in context
- そんなのずるいよ。That's not fair.This example shows how to use ずるいTatoeba #204215 by bunbuku, translation #442964 by CK
- それはずるい！あなた、鏡で私のカードを見たでしょ！That's not fair! You saw my cards in the mirror!This example uses ずるい to complain about someone being unfair in a game.Tatoeba #8545884 by small_snow, translation #7010472 by Eccles17
- ずるい。It's not fair.This is a simple way to state "It's not fair" using ずるい.Tatoeba #3496773 by arnab, translation #1894576 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are playing a video game together.
- 蓮 Renあ！今の攻撃は反則だよ。ずるい！A! Ima no kougeki wa hansoku dayo. Zurui!Ah! That attack was against the rules. Not fair!
- 美咲 Misakiいいじゃない。勝ったもんね。Ii janai. Katta mon ne.It's fine. I won, didn't I?
- 蓮 Renもう一回やり直しだ！Mou ikkai yarinaoshi da!We're doing it over again!
- 美咲 Misakiいいよ、蓮。もう一回やろう。Ii yo, Ren. Mou ikkai yarou.Okay, Ren. Let's go one more time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ずるい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
