まずい
mazui
In Japanese, "not tasty" is said as まずい (mazui).
The primary use of まずい is to describe food or drink that has an unpleasant or bad taste. Beyond taste, the word can also be used to describe a situation that is bad, problematic or awkward.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
まずい is an informal term. Because it is quite blunt, it can sound rude if you use it directly to a host or in a formal setting. For polite settings, use まずいです or the formal まずくありません.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative form in an informal way, you use まずくない. To make the expression polite, you can add です to the end to form まずいです.
How do you pronounce it?
mazui
Did you know?
- The word まずい is derived from mazushii, which means 'poor'.
- Because まずい is so blunt, Japanese people often use the phrase 口に合わない, meaning 'it does not fit my mouth', to politely say food is not tasty.
- The word can be used to express a sense of 'oh no' or 'this is bad' when someone realizes they have made a mistake or are in a tight spot.
Examples in context
- ケーキはまずくありません。The cake is not tasty.
- この料理は口に合いません。This dish doesn't suit my taste.
- このラーメンは不味い。This ramen is not tasty.
- このお茶はまずい。This tea is not tasty.
- まずい料理は食べたくない。Mazui ryōri wa tabetaku nai.I don't want to eat bad-tasting food.
- 見た目はいいけど、味がまずい。Mitame wa ii kedo, aji ga mazui.It looks good, but the taste is bad.
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are trying a new dish at a cafe.
- 結衣 Yuiこれ、すごくまずいね。Kore, sugoku mazui ne.This is really bad, isn't it?
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だ、味付けが変だよ。Hontō da, ajitsuke ga hen da yo.You're right, the seasoning is strange.
- 結衣 Yui大翔君、食べられる？Hiroto-kun, taberareru?Hiroto, can you eat it?
- 大翔 Hirotoいや、やっぱり無理だよ。Iya, yappari muri da yo.No, I really can't eat it.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries まずい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
