Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 不公平 | fukōhei | [ɸɯ̟̊ko̞ːhe̞ː] (narrow) |
| ずるい | zurui | [d͡zɨɾɯ̟i] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for 'unfair' depending on whether you are describing a systemic issue or a person's behavior. 不公平 refers to objective or systemic unfairness, such as social inequality or biased rules. In contrast, ずるい describes subjective or interpersonal unfairness, often used when someone is being sneaky or taking an unfair advantage in a game or social situation.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 不公平 is composed of the prefix 不, meaning 'not' and 公平, meaning 'fairness' or 'impartiality'.
Which one should you use?
Use 不公平 when discussing inequitable or unjust systems. Use ずるい to describe a person being sneaky or acting unfairly in a specific social interaction.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
不公平 is a formal term often used in academic or professional settings to convey that something is unjust or unequal. ずるい is a colloquialism frequently used in daily conversation, especially among friends or children, to express frustration at someone's behavior.
How does it change in a sentence?
不公平 is a na-adjective, which means it requires a copula like だ or です to function as a predicate in a sentence. ずるい is an i-adjective, so it can be conjugated directly, for example, turning it into ずるかった to mean 'was unfair', without needing a copula.
How do you pronounce it?
fukōhei
When do people say it?
In informal settings, you might hear people use the phrase やっぱりずるい to express unfairness among peers or the phrase ウソだろ to express disbelief or frustration at an unfair situation.
Did you know?
- While ずるい is often used to mean 'unfair', it is also frequently used as a compliment to mean 'clever' or 'resourceful' in a way that implies someone has found a brilliant shortcut.
- When someone feels a situation is 'unfair', they might use the phrase 納得いかない which literally means 'it does not go into my conviction'.
- The kanji 平 in 公平 means 'flat' or 'level', suggesting that a fair situation is one where everything is smooth and even, without bumps or obstacles.
Examples in context
- 世の中、不公平だよね？Society is unfair, isn't it?This sentence is useful for discussing social inequality using 不公平.Tatoeba #9940177 by small_snow, translation #10204034 by terrywallwork
- 世の中って、不公平だ。The world is unfair.This sentence is useful for expressing the concept of a world that is unfair using 不公平.Tatoeba #9940179 by small_snow, translation #2474702 by Hybrid
- ずるいとか、思わないの？Do you not think that's unfair?This sentence is useful for asking if someone thinks a behavior is unfair using ずるい.Tatoeba #11910235 by small_snow, translation #11910212 by sundown
- 彼の評価は不公平だと思います。I believe his evaluation is unfair.
- 彼女の処遇は不平等だと感じます。I feel her treatment is unfair.
- チームの分け方、やっぱりずるいよね。The way teams were formed, it's unfair, right?
- そのルール、めちゃくちゃやん！Those rules are totally unfair!
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a teacher's grading system.
- 美咲 Misakiこの採点基準は不公平だと思う。Kono saiten kijun wa fukōhei da to omou.I think these grading criteria are unfair.
- 大翔 Hiroto確かに、ちょっと厳しすぎるよね。Tashikani, chotto kibishisugiru yo ne.True, it's a bit too strict.
- 美咲 Misaki不公平なままにするのはおかしいよ。Fukōhei na mama ni suru no wa okashii yo.It's strange to leave it as something unfair.
- 大翔 Hiroto先生に相談してみようか。Sensei ni sōdan shite miyō ka.Shall we try talking to the teacher?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “unfair” translations and entries 不公平, ずるい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
