スラック
Surakku
The Japanese translation for the adjective 'slack' (not tense) is スラック (Surakku).
While スラック can be used to describe a state of not being tense, Japanese speakers often use other terms depending on the context of laziness or unproductivity. For instance, if you are describing a person being lazy or an unproductive situation, the informal term ダラダラ is used. If you specifically mean the act of slacking off or skipping work, the informal verb サボる is employed.
Meaning: not tense (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
Surakku
Did you know?
- The word サボる for skipping work or slacking off is a shortened version of the French word 'sabotage'.
- The expression 手を抜く (te o nuku), meaning to slack off or cut corners, literally translates to 'to extract one's hand' from a task.
- In Japanese business management, the concept of スラック is often used as a loanword to describe 'organizational slack', referring to the intentional cushion of resources kept to handle unexpected crises.
Examples in context
- 彼は仕事に手抜きしかしない。He only does the bare minimum at work.
- 最近、ダラダラしていて何も進まない。Lately, I've been slacking off and not getting anything done.
- テスト前にサボってしまった。I slacked off before the test.
Example conversation
Hina and Daito are tying a bundle of packages together.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔くん、紐が緩すぎない？Daito-kun, himo ga yurusugina-i?Daito, isn't the string too loose?
- 大翔 Hirotoわざとスラックを持たせてあるんだよ。wazato surakku o motasete aru n da yo.I intentionally left some slack in it.
- 陽葵 Himariでも、このままだと荷物が落ちそう。demo, kono mama da to nimotsu ga ochisou.But the luggage looks like it will fall at this rate.
- 大翔 Hirotoわかった。もう一度締め直すね。wakatta. mou ichido shimenaosu ne.I get it. I'll tighten it again.
