Japanese · Frustration
だるい
darui
DAH-roo-ee · /daɾɯi/
Can't be bothered / such a drag / I'm wiped
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"sluggish / heavy-limbed"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
Physical heaviness bleeding into "ugh, effort." Your body is darui when you're run-down; a task is darui when you can't face it; Monday is darui on principle. The rough "darii" is male teen slang. Cousin of mendokusai, but more about your own low battery than the task's annoyance.
Heard in the wild
今日だるいわ、飲み会パスする。
I'm wiped today — I'll skip the drinks.
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "だるい" mean?
- In Japanese, "だるい" means "Can't be bothered / such a drag / I'm wiped". Literally it's "sluggish / heavy-limbed". Physical heaviness bleeding into "ugh, effort." Your body is darui when you're run-down; a task is darui when you can't face it; Monday is darui on principle. The rough "darii" is male teen slang. Cousin of mendokusai, but more about your own low battery than the task's annoyance.
- Is "だるい" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
- How do you pronounce "だるい"?
- Say it "DAH-roo-ee" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: daɾɯi.
Related in Japanese
うるさい urusai oo-roo-SIGH Shut up / you're too loud / quit nagging うざい uzai oo-ZYE Annoying / a pain in the ass 何だよ nanda yo NAHN-dah yo What the hell / what's your problem 面倒くさい mendōkusai men-DOH-koo-sigh What a pain / can't be bothered / such a hassle 畜生 chikushō chee-koo-SHOH Dammit! / God damn it! たっけえ takkee (takai) tahk-KEH Damn, that's expensive! / highway robbery
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