Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 醜い | minikui | [mʲiɲ̟ikɯ̟i] (narrow) |
| 見苦しい | migurushii | [mʲiɡɯ̟ɾɯ̟ɕii] (narrow) |
| 格好悪い | kakkowarui | [ka̠k̚ko̞β̞a̠ɾɯ̟i] (narrow) [ka̠k̚ko̞ːβ̞a̠ɾɯ̟i] (narrow) |
The term 醜い is used to describe something that is displeasing to the eye or not aesthetically pleasing. It can refer to physical ugliness as well as moral ugliness, such as describing a vile soul or a hideous fight. In a literary context, 醜い is considered more formal than colloquial terms like ブサイク used generally or ブス used for women.
Which one should you use?
The different Japanese terms for 'ugly' are chosen based on what specific type of unpleasantness you are describing. 醜い covers both physical and moral ugliness. 見苦しい is used to describe behavior or a situation that is unsightly, unseemly or shameful rather than just physical appearance. 格好悪い is used when something is 'ugly' in the sense of being uncool, unstylish or looking bad in a social context.
How does it change in a sentence?
醜い is an i-adjective. In certain colloquial contexts, you can add the suffix -no to it to make it a noun (醜いの).
How do you pronounce it?
minikui
Did you know?
- In the word 見苦しい, a linguistic phenomenon called rendaku causes the 'ku' in 'kurushii' to change to 'gu' to make the compound easier to pronounce.
- The phrase 格好悪い uses the word for 'shape' or 'figure' to imply that someone's social standing or 'coolness' is being damaged.
- The term 醜い is frequently used in Japanese to describe 'ugly' emotions, such as jealousy or greed, turning a visual adjective into a moral judgment.
Examples in context
- 私を醜いと思いますか。Do you think I'm ugly?This sentence is useful for asking if someone thinks you are ugly using 醜い.Tatoeba #1533048 by bunbuku, translation #953230 by CK
- １人の醜い男が私の家の戸をたたいた。An ugly man knocked on my door.This sentence is useful for describing an ugly man using 醜い.Tatoeba #235739 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #73119 by CK
- 醜い猫が私の椅子に座ったんだよ！An ugly cat sat in my chair!This sentence is useful for describing an ugly cat using 醜い.Tatoeba #9929561 by Luornu, translation #9929567 by Luornu
- 彼の新しい服は醜いです。His new clothes are ugly.
- あの帽子はダサいね。That hat is ugly (unstylish), isn't it?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Himari are discussing a poorly drawn picture.
- 健太 Kentaこの絵は本当に醜いね。Kono e wa hontō ni minikui ne.This picture is really ugly, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariひどい言い方だよ、健太。Hidoi iikata dayo, Kenta.That's a mean way to put it, Kenta.
- 健太 Kentaでも、色使いが醜いと思う。Demo, irozukai ga minikui to omou.But I think the use of colors is ugly.
- 陽葵 Himari個性的だと思って見てみて。Koseiteki da to omotte mite mite.Try looking at it as being unique.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ugly” translations and entries 醜い, 見苦しい, 格好悪い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 格好悪い, 見苦しい, 醜い, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
