役立たず
yakutatazu[ja̠kɯ̟̊ta̠ta̠zɨ]
The English phrase "you're useless" can be expressed in Japanese as 役立たず (yakutatazu).
This phrase is a harsh expression used to tell someone that they are not helpful or have no useful skills. It can be used to insult someone's competence or utility regarding a specific task or in a more general sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
役立たず is highly derogatory and is used in informal or aggressive contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
yakutatazu
Did you know?
- While 役立たず is an insult, adding the suffix さん to create 役立たずさん transforms it into a sarcastic or mockingly polite nickname, often used in anime or fiction to belittle someone with a fake sense of courtesy.
- The character 役 in 役立たず originally referred to forced labor or corvée service. This connects the idea of being 'useless' to a failure to perform a compulsory duty for the state or community.
- The suffix ず (zu) in 役立たず is an archaic way of expressing negation. It gives the word a decisive, heavy, and somewhat old-fashioned rhythmic punch that makes the insult feel more stinging than modern polite Japanese.
Examples in context
- 手抜きばかりしていて、あなたは一体何のためにいるのですか。All you do is slack off, what purpose do you serve exactly?
- 何もできないやつだな。You're such a useless person.
- いつも役に立たないな。You're never helpful.
- お前は全然ダメだ。You're completely useless.
- 彼は本当に役立たずだ。Kare wa hontou ni yakutatazu da.He is truly useless.
Example conversation
A tense argument between two people during a group project.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、君は全然手伝ってくれないね。Ren, kimi wa zenzen tetsudatte kurenai ne.Ren, you aren't helping at all.
- 蓮 Renそんなこと言わないでよ。Sonna koto iwanaide yo.Don't say that.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に役立たずなんだから。Hontou ni yakutatazu nanda kara.You really are useless.
- 蓮 Renひどいよ、陽葵。Hidoi yo, Himari.That's cruel, Himari.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 役立たず, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
