ずる賢い

Japanese

Kanji in this term
賢
かしこ > がしこ Grade: S
kun'yomi

Alternative forms

狡賢い

Etymology

Compound of 狡い (zurui, “tricky, cunning, devious”) +‎ 賢い (kashikoi, “smart, clever, intelligent”).^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4] The kashikoi changes to gashikoi as an instance of rendaku (連(れん)濁(だく)).

The spelling ずる賢い is more common than 狡賢い, due to the 狡 character falling into disuse.

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ずるがしこい [zùrúgáshíkóꜜì] (Nakadaka – [5])^[2]^[4]
IPA^(key): [d͡zɨɾɯ̟ɡa̠ɕiko̞i]

Adjective

ずる賢(がしこ)い • (zurugashikoi) -i (adverbial ずる賢(がしこ)く (zurugashikoku))

sly, cunning

Inflection

Inflection of **ずる賢い**
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	ずる賢かろ	ずるがしこかろ	zurugashikokaro
Continuative (連用形)	ずる賢く	ずるがしこく	zurugashikoku
Terminal (終止形)	ずる賢い	ずるがしこい	zurugashikoi
Attributive (連体形)	ずる賢い	ずるがしこい	zurugashikoi
Hypothetical (仮定形)	ずる賢けれ	ずるがしこけれ	zurugashikokere
Imperative (命令形)	ずる賢かれ	ずるがしこかれ	zurugashikokare
Key constructions
Informal negative	ずる賢くない	ずるがしこくない	zurugashikoku nai
Informal past	ずる賢かった	ずるがしこかった	zurugashikokatta
Informal negative past	ずる賢くなかった	ずるがしこくなかった	zurugashikoku nakatta
Formal	ずる賢いです	ずるがしこいです	zurugashikoi desu
Formal negative	ずる賢くないです	ずるがしこくないです	zurugashikoku nai desu
Formal past	ずる賢かったです	ずるがしこかったです	zurugashikokatta desu
Formal negative past	ずる賢くなかったです	ずるがしこくなかったです	zurugashikoku nakatta desu
Conjunctive	ずる賢くて	ずるがしこくて	zurugashikokute
Conditional	ずる賢ければ	ずるがしこければ	zurugashikokereba
Provisional	ずる賢かったら	ずるがしこかったら	zurugashikokattara
Volitional	ずる賢かろう	ずるがしこかろう	zurugashikokarō
Adverbial	ずる賢く	ずるがしこく	zurugashikoku
Degree	ずる賢さ	ずるがしこさ	zurugashikosa

References

^ Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[KDJ-1] Shōgaku Tosho (1988), 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[DJR-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

[DJS-3] Matsumura, Akira, editor (1995), 大辞泉 [Daijisen] (in Japanese), First edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, →ISBN

[SMK5-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

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