Japanese · Insults
最低
saitei
sigh-TAY · /saiteː/
The worst / despicable / how low
2/5 Bar-safe
coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances
Literally
"the lowest / minimum"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
"Lowest" — a moral verdict, especially popular among women delivering judgment on a man who behaved badly. Cheated, stood you up, said something vile? "Saitei." Also just means "terrible" for a situation (kyō wa saitei da, today's the worst). Cold and final when aimed at a person.
Heard in the wild
浮気しといて逆ギレとか、最低。
Cheating and then getting mad at ME? Despicable.
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "最低" mean?
- In Japanese, "最低" means "The worst / despicable / how low". Literally it's "the lowest / minimum". "Lowest" — a moral verdict, especially popular among women delivering judgment on a man who behaved badly. Cheated, stood you up, said something vile? "Saitei." Also just means "terrible" for a situation (kyō wa saitei da, today's the worst). Cold and final when aimed at a person.
- Is "最低" offensive?
- It's on the mild end — 2/5 (Bar-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. coarse but friendly; fine among acquaintances.
- How do you pronounce "最低"?
- Say it "sigh-TAY" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: saiteː.
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