Japanese word of the day: 不味い (Mazui)

What does 不味い (Mazui) mean?

不味い (Mazui) (い-adjective) – Bad-tasting; unappetizing; unpleasant (to eat or drink). This word is the opposite of 美味しい (oishii). Use 不味い when food or drink tastes bad, or even to describe a situation that’s awkward or unfavorable.

Kanji details for 不 and 味

Character: 不 — negative, non-, bad, ugly, clumsy
Radical: one 一

Character: 味 — flavor, taste
Radical: mouth, opening 口

Example sentences with 不味い (Mazui)

• このスープはちょっと不味いです。
  (Kono sūpu wa chotto mazui desu.)
  🥄 This soup tastes a bit bad.

• 不味いコーヒーは飲みたくない。
  (Mazui kōhī wa nomitakunai.)
  ☕ I don’t want to drink bad coffee.

• 昨日食べた魚は不味かった。
  (Kinō tabeta sakana wa mazukatta.)
  🐟 The fish I ate yesterday was bad.

不味い (Mazui) in context

不味い is the word you’ll use when you want to be honest about a disappointing meal or drink. It’s direct, so be careful using it at someone’s house or when you want to be polite! Besides food, 不味い can also describe situations that are “bad” or “awkward,” like a meeting that goes wrong or a conversation that turns uncomfortable.

A quick tip: If you want to soften your comment, add “ちょっと” (chotto, a little) before 不味い. For example, “ちょっと不味い” sounds less harsh than saying something is just plain bad.

Whether you’re warning a friend about a restaurant or describing an awkward moment, 不味い is a useful word for those times when things just aren’t right.