狡賢い

Japanese

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

Alternative forms

ずる賢い

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

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

sly, cunning

Inflection

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