Japanese symbol for “problematic”
不味い
まずい
Romaji: mazui
bad(-tasting); unpalatable; unsavoury; unsavory
In Japanese, problematic is 不味い, read まずい (mazui).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- adj-i bad(-tasting); unpalatable; unsavoury; unsavory; awful; terrible
- adj-i poor; unskillful; unskilful; bungling; clumsy
- adj-i ugly; unattractive; homely; plain
- adj-i awkward; problematic; troublesome; unfavorable; unfavourable; unwise
- int oh no; uh-oh; this is bad
Written forms: 不味い. Readings: まずい、マズイ、マズい.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “problematic”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| タチ悪い | たちわるい tachiwarui | in bad taste; problematic; of poor character |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不明 | ふめい fumei | unclear; obscure; indistinct |
| 不安 | ふあん fuan | anxiety; uneasiness; worry |
| 不足 | ふそく fusoku | insufficiency; deficiency; shortage |
| 不満 | ふまん fuman | dissatisfaction; discontent; displeasure |
| 不可能 | ふかのう fukanou | impossible |
| 不思議 | ふしぎ fushigi | wonderful; marvelous; strange |
| 意味 | いみ imi | meaning; significance; sense |
| 興味 | きょうみ kyoumi | interest (in something); curiosity (about something); zest (for) |
See also: Chinese symbol for “problematic”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.