Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| だらしない | darashinai | [da̠ɾa̠ɕina̠i] (narrow) |
| ぐちゃぐちゃ | guchagucha | [ɡɯ̟t͡ɕa̠ɡɯ̟t͡ɕa̠] (narrow) |
| ずさんな | zusan na |
In Japanese, the choice of word for "sloppy" depends heavily on what is being described. You might use it to describe a person's lack of discipline, a physical state of disarray or the poor quality of a task or plan. Other related terms include 不注意 for being careless, 細部に配慮されていない for being not meticulous and 不手際 to describe inefficiency or clumsiness.
Which one should you use?
The different forms are used for specific contexts: ぐちゃぐちゃ describes physical messiness, disorganization or something that is jumbled, like a messy room or messy handwriting. ずさんな is used for sloppy work, management or planning, implying a lack of professional thoroughness. だらしない is used to describe a person's character or habits, such as being untidy in appearance or lacking self-discipline. If you want to describe loose, ill-fitting clothing, the informal term だぼだぼ is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
ずさんな is a na-adjective, which means it requires the particle な when modifying a noun. ぐちゃぐちゃ is an onomatopoeic word that can function as an adverb or be used with a copula to describe a state.
How do you pronounce it?
darashinai
Did you know?
- While English speakers might call a person 'sloppy' for their messy desk, using だらしない suggests a deeper flaw in their moral character or lack of self-discipline.
- The word ぐちゃぐちゃ is not just a description of mess, but an onomatopoeia that mimics the sound of squishing or crushing something soft, like mud or wet paper.
- The adjective だらしない evolved from the verb phrase しだらない, which relates to things not having a proper way or sequence of proceeding.
Examples in context
- これがぐちゃぐちゃすぎてますか？Is this too sloppy?This sentence is useful for asking if something is too ぐちゃぐちゃ.Tatoeba #8456441 by Raymondmyman, translation #5757483 by CM
- 彼の作業はだらしない。His work is sloppy.
- 彼の仕事はずさんだね。His work is sloppy, right?
- 彼は食べ方がだらしない。Kare wa tabekata ga darashinai.He has sloppy eating habits.
- だらしない格好をしないで。Darashinai kakkou o shinaide.Don't look so sloppy.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are cleaning their shared living room.
- 健太 Kenta片付けを手伝ってくれる？Katazuke o tetsudatte kureru?Can you help me clean up?
- 美咲 Misakiごめん、私がだらしないせいだね。Gomen, watashi ga darashinai sei dane.Sorry, it's because I'm sloppy.
- 健太 Kenta大丈夫だよ。一緒にやろう。Daijōbu dayo. Issho ni yarō.It's okay. Let's do it together.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、健太。Arigatō, Kenta.Thank you, Kenta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sloppy” translations and entries だらしない, ぐちゃぐちゃ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ぐちゃぐちゃ, だらしない, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
