適当な（てきとうな、tekitouna）
- suitable

The Japanese word 適当な (てきとうな) is an adjective that has several related meanings, often carrying a slightly negative connotation. The core meaning revolves around being: ⚫︎Suitable or appropriate, but often in a context where the choice is not the best or most carefully considered. ⚫︎Casual, half-hearted, or perfunctory. ⚫︎Vague or imprecise. ⚫︎Sometimes it can mean "random" or "arbitrary." The specific meaning depends heavily on the context. It can be a neutral description, but more often it implies a lack of care or thoroughness. It can also imply that something is adequate but not excellent.

⚫︎適当な服を着て行きなさい。 Translation: Wear appropriate (suitable) clothes. ⚫︎適当なところで昼食にしましょう。 Translation: Let's have lunch somewhere (suitable/convenient). ⚫︎彼は適当な返事をした。 Translation: He gave a vague (perfunctory) answer.

⚫︎You can use 適当な (てきとうな) when you want to describe something as being: ⚫︎Adequate or good enough, but not necessarily the best. ⚫︎Done without much thought or effort. ⚫︎Meeting basic requirements without exceeding them. ⚫︎Be careful! While it can sometimes be a neutral descriptor, often, it implies a lack of earnestness or thoroughness. ⚫︎When used to describe people, it is usually not a compliment, implying they are careless or irresponsible.

⚫︎The word is typically written as 適当な. ⚫︎The kanji is 適 (teki, meaning "suitable") and 当 (tou, meaning "to hit or be appropriate"). ⚫︎The hiragana な (na) is a suffix indicating that it's an adjective. ⚫︎The okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) for the adjective form is な. ⚫︎適当 can be used as a noun, too.

⚫︎ふさわしい (fusawashii) - appropriate, suitable (generally more positive) ⚫︎適切な (tekisetsu na) - appropriate, suitable, correct (more formal and generally positive) ⚫︎いい加減な (ii kagen na) - irresponsible, sloppy, casual ⚫︎いい加減 (ii kagen) - used as an adverb, roughly or half-heartedly ⚫︎いいかげん (ii kagen) - same as above. (casual version of いい加減) ⚫︎いい加減に (ii kagen ni) - adverbial form, carelessly ⚫︎いい加減にする (ii kagen ni suru) - to do something casually ⚫︎いい加減にして！ (ii kagen ni shite!) - Stop it! (implies the listener is annoying or irresponsible) ⚫︎適した (tekishita) - suitable, appropriate ⚫︎似合う (niau) - to suit, to match ⚫︎手頃な (tegoro na) - reasonable, affordable ⚫︎気楽な (kiraku na) - casual, relaxed

⚫︎不適切な (futekisetsu na) - inappropriate ⚫︎不適当な (futekitou na) - inappropriate ⚫︎丁寧な (teinei na) - polite, careful ⚫︎真剣な (shinken na) - serious ⚫︎真面目な (majime na) - serious, diligent ⚫︎きちんとした (kichin to shita) - proper, neat

この仕事は適当な人を探しています。 ・Translation: We are looking for a suitable (or, perhaps, adequate) person for this job. ・Explanation: In this case, 適当な (てきとうな) means the person should be qualified enough, but it doesn't necessarily imply that they need to be the *best* candidate. It could also suggest a lack of emphasis on a very high level of skill.

彼は適当な理由で遅刻しました。 ・Translation: He was late for a vague (or, perhaps, flimsy) reason. ・Explanation: Here, 適当な (てきとうな) implies the reason given for being late was not very good or believable. The sentence uses 適当な to suggest the excuse was not well-considered.

The word 適当 is a compound of two kanji: 適 (teki) meaning "suitable, fit, appropriate," and 当 (tou) meaning "to hit, to be appropriate." Together, they convey the idea of something being "appropriately hitting" or "fitting" a situation, although it doesn't necessarily mean it is done with extra care or excellence.