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Kanji Detail for 悪 - "bad, ugly"

悪

  • Meaning

    悪 means "bad, ugly." Also associated with to hate.

    1. Bad - Evil; wrong; incorrect.

    2. Ugly - Unpleasant; repulsive.

    3. Crude - Poor quality; careless.

    4. To hate - To dislike; to detest.

    5. Rhetorical - "How could..." expressing doubt.

    6. Question - "Where..." asking location.

  • Words using 悪

    • 悪化 あっか Listen deterioration; getting worse; worsening
    • 最悪 さいあく Listen worst; horrible; horrid
    • 悪質 あくしつ Listen malicious; vicious; malignant
    • 悪魔 あくま Listen devil; demon; fiend
    • 悪さ わるさ Listen badness; mean mischief
    • 悪口 わるぐち Listen (verbal) abuse; speaking ill of people; bad-mouthing
    • 悪夢 あくむ Listen nightmare; bad dream
    • 悪循環 あくじゅんかん Listen vicious circle; vicious cycle

  • Four-character idioms with 悪

    • 勧善懲悪 かんぜんちょうあく Listen rewarding good and punishing evil; poetic justice
    • 悪戦苦闘 あくせんくとう Listen hard fighting; hard struggle; fighting against heavy odds
    • 自己嫌悪 じこけんお Listen self-hatred; self-abhorrence; self-loathing
    • 悪事千里 あくじせんり Listen bad news traveling fast; ill news spreading like wildfire
    • 悪人正機 あくにんしょうき Listen The evil persons are the right object of Amida's salvation; The evil persons have the unique opportunity to go to heaven
    • 悪口雑言 あっこうぞうごん Listen all kinds of malicious gossip; heaping verbal abuse (on); cursing and swearing (words)

  • Origin of 悪

    The Japanese standard form of 惡. 亞 — written 亜 here — lends the reading aku, over 心, the heart; 亞 supplies only the sound. Accounts of the 亞 shape differ: some read the plan of a Shang tomb chamber, the Shuowen a hunched figure.

    How to remember it: A heart 心 under the 亜 shape — read it as a tomb if you like: evil.

    Sources: en.wiktionary.org · mojinavi.com

  • Tattoo check: 悪

    • Verified meaning: bad, ugly
    • Official Jōyō kanji — a standard character every Japanese reader recognises
    • Used in real Japanese given names (read あく)
    • Also carries these associations: to hate
    • Traditionally considered inauspicious in names — Japanese readers may find it an unlucky choice. Check the meanings above carefully before using it on skin.

    A single kanji rarely maps one-to-one onto an English word. Read the meanings and associations above as a set — a character that fits the dictionary definition can still carry a connotation you did not intend.

  • Name readings of 悪

    Surnames 悪(あく)Listen

  • Compare with other kanji that mean the same thing:

  • Dictionary Citations

    The meaning above is based on the following sources:

    KANJIDIC2 A comprehensive Japanese-English kanji dictionary

    bad; vice; rascal; false; evil; wrong

    Unihan Unicode Han Database for CJK characters

    evil, wicked, bad, foul

    CC-CEDICT A Chinese-English dictionary

    Japanese variant of 惡|恶[e4]

  • Onyomi

    tip

    aku(アク) アク

    o(オ) オ

  • Kunyomi

    tip

    aa(ああ) ああ

    ashi(あし) あし

    izuku.nzo(いずく-んぞ) いずく-んぞ

    izukuni(いずくに) いずくに

    niku.mu(にく-む) にく-む

    nikui(にく-い) にく-い

    waru(わ-る) わ-る

    waru.i(わる-い) わる-い

  • Strokes

    tip

    11 strokes

  • Radical

    tip

    心 忄 (kokoro・shitagokoro・risshimben)

  • Related Keywords

    bad ugly to hate crude shoddy evil wrong wicked corrupt harmful immoral malicious detest negative

Sentences including 悪

  • There is no going out in this stormy weather.

  • It's not healthy for you.

  • Be that as it may , you are wrong.

  • Does anyone feel sick?

  • Not bad. but i'm a little tired.

  • You are a bad boy.

  • Do you feel sick?

  • He got a bad reputation.

  • This machine does not run well.

  • He has an unpleasant look in his eyes.

Sentences from Japanese classical masterpieces

More kanji with the radical 心 忄 (kokoro・shitagokoro・risshimben)

See all kanji with this radical →

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