ずるい（ずるい、zurui）
- cunning/sly

The Japanese word ずるい ずるい primarily means "sneaky," "cunning," "unfair," or "cheating." It describes someone or something that acts in a way that is considered dishonest or takes advantage of others. It implies a sense of disapproval or annoyance at the behavior. The core meaning revolves around a lack of fairness or playing by the rules. The word highlights actions that are intended to give an advantage to a person or thing, even if these advantages are not deserved.

⚫︎試験でカンニングするのは、ずるいよ。 Translation: Cheating on a test is sneaky/unfair. ⚫︎彼はずるい手を使ってゲームに勝った。 Translation: He won the game by using a sneaky trick. ⚫︎ずるい！ 私はもう一回やりたい。 Translation: That's not fair! I want to try again.

⚫︎You would use ずるい ずるい when you want to express that someone's actions are unfair, underhanded, or taking advantage of a situation. ⚫︎It's often used in situations involving competition, games, or any scenario where rules are involved. ⚫︎It can be used to scold someone, express disappointment, or simply comment on a situation. ⚫︎The word can be used both directly, by calling someone ずるい, or to describe a situation or action.

⚫︎ずるい is typically written in hiragana. ⚫︎The kanji form 狡い exists, but it is less commonly used. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana.

⚫︎卑怯（ひきょう）: Cowardly, underhanded. ⚫︎不公平（ふこうへい）: Unfair. ⚫︎反則（はんそく）: Foul (in sports). ⚫︎汚い（きたない）: Dirty, unfair, or underhanded. ⚫︎姑息（こそく）: Shifty, underhanded.

⚫︎正直（しょうじき）: Honest, straightforward. ⚫︎公正（こうせい）: Fair, just. ⚫︎公平（こうへい）: Fair, impartial.

君だけデザートを食べるのはずるい！ ・Translation: It's not fair that only you are eating dessert! ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the speaker's feeling of being left out and that the other person's action is unfair.

彼はずるいやり方で会社の金を盗んだ。 ・Translation: He stole the company's money in a sneaky way. ・Explanation: This sentence describes an act of dishonesty using the word ずるい.

The etymology of ずるい is uncertain, but it's likely derived from the verb ずる, which means "to slip," "to slide," or "to cheat." The adjective form ずるい is thought to have developed from this verb, conveying the idea of being slippery or evasive in a way that is considered dishonest.