悪（あく、aku）
- evil/bad

The Japanese word 悪 (あく) primarily translates to "bad," "evil," "wrong," or "wicked" in English. It signifies something negative, undesirable, morally corrupt, or harmful. It can describe actions, people, situations, or even abstract concepts. The meaning can vary slightly depending on context, but the core idea of something being unfavorable or morally deficient remains consistent. The word encompasses a wide range of negative connotations. It often implies a violation of moral or ethical principles.

⚫︎悪 (あく) : bad, evil, wrong. ⚫︎悪人 (あくにん) Translation: Bad person / villain. ⚫︎悪天候 (あくてんこう) Translation: Bad weather.

悪 is used in various contexts to express negativity. It can be used to describe someone's character, actions, or a situation's state. It's common in everyday conversation, literature, and formal contexts. The specific nuance depends on the surrounding words and the sentence's structure. It can be used as a noun, an adjective, or even as part of a compound word. When speaking, the tone of voice will add additional meaning to the word, which might signify how bad something is.

The word 悪 is typically written with the kanji 悪. The reading "あく" is the most common. It can also be written in hiragana as あく. There are no variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎悪い (わるい): bad ⚫︎悪いこと (わるいこと): bad thing ⚫︎不道徳 (ふどうとく): immoral ⚫︎邪悪 (じゃあく): wicked, evil ⚫︎罪 (つみ): sin, crime ⚫︎不正 (ふせい): injustice ⚫︎悪 (あく) as a suffix: -evil, -bad, -wicked

⚫︎善 (ぜん): good ⚫︎良い (よい): good ⚫︎正しい (ただしい): correct, right ⚫︎正義 (せいぎ): justice ⚫︎美徳 (びとく): virtue

彼は悪 (あく) の心を持っている。 ・Translation: He has an evil heart. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 悪 to describe a person's character, indicating that they are morally corrupt.

その計画は、最初から悪 (あく) だった。 ・Translation: That plan was bad from the start. ・Explanation: This sentence utilizes 悪 to express that the plan was flawed or undesirable from the beginning.

The kanji 悪 is composed of two parts. The upper part is 亜, which means "second" or "inferior." The lower part is 心 (こころ), which means "heart" or "mind." Together, 悪 suggests something that is "inferior in the heart" or "bad at heart." This etymological breakdown reflects the word's meaning related to moral failing or undesirable quality.