How do you say "lazy" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "lazy" is 怠惰な (taida na). It is a adjective pronounced "tah-ee-dah nah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

怠惰な is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as taida na, it sounds roughly like "tah-ee-dah nah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

彼女は少し怠惰な性格です。

Kanojo wa sukoshi taida na seikaku desu.

She has a slightly lazy personality.

Usage notes

Taida na (怠惰な) is a na-adjective meaning lazy or idle. It describes a habitual tendency rather than a temporary state. In everyday speech, namakemono (lazy person) is a more common equivalent.

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Questions about 怠惰な

How do you pronounce 怠惰な?

怠惰な is romanised as taida na. Say it roughly like "tah-ee-dah nah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 怠惰な formal or casual?

怠惰な is a na-adjective or noun-adjective. It is neutral in register and fits naturally in both casual and polite sentences. Add na before a noun, or use desu for a polite predicate.

How is 怠惰な written in Japanese?

怠惰な is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.