不良（ふりょう、furyou）
- delinquent

The Japanese word 不良 (ふりょう) carries a multifaceted meaning, generally encompassing concepts of "bad," "inferior," "defective," "delinquent," or "unsuitable." It can refer to a variety of things, from the quality of an object to the behavior of a person. The specific meaning depends heavily on the context in which it's used. It can also imply something that is not functioning properly, is of poor quality, or is morally questionable. The word can describe both physical and abstract concepts. It's important to understand the nuance within its application. The word contains meaning of being 不良 itself, or its conjugation, nearly identical with 不良.

⚫︎不良品 Translation: Defective product ⚫︎不良少年 Translation: Delinquent youth ⚫︎体調不良 Translation: Poor physical condition ⚫︎不良債権 Translation: Non-performing loan

The use of 不良 depends entirely on the context. ⚫︎When describing a product, it indicates it's broken, damaged, or not up to standard. ⚫︎When describing a person, it often implies misbehavior, trouble-making, or being a delinquent. ⚫︎When describing a physical condition, it means that a person is not feeling well or is suffering from some kind of ailment. ⚫︎In a business context, it can refer to financial problems. Generally, it's used in formal and informal situations, but its impact varies according to who you are talking to and the context.

⚫︎不良 is most commonly written with the kanji 不良. ⚫︎The reading is ふりょう (in hiragana). ⚫︎There are no significant variations in okurigana.

⚫︎悪い (わるい): bad, wrong (general term) ⚫︎悪い子 (わるいこ): a naughty child, a bad kid ⚫︎欠陥のある (けっかんのある): defective (for objects) ⚫︎不良行為 (ふりょうこうい): misconduct ⚫︎不良学生 (ふりょうがくせい): Problem student ⚫︎非行 (ひこう): delinquency, misconduct

⚫︎良い (よい) / いい (ii): good ⚫︎優良 (ゆうりょう): excellent, superior ⚫︎正常 (せいじょう): normal, regular ⚫︎健全 (けんぜん): healthy, sound

この商品は不良品なので、交換してください。 ・Translation: This product is defective, so please exchange it. ・Explanation: This sentence utilizes 不良品 to indicate the product's poor quality or malfunction, making it unusable in its present state.

彼は不良グループと交際している。 ・Translation: He is associating with a delinquent group. ・Explanation: In this sentence, 不良 is used to describe a group, suggesting they are troublesome or engage in negative behaviors.

The kanji 不 (fu/bu) means "not" or "non-", and 良 (ryō) means "good," "excellent," or "fine." Therefore, 不良 literally means "not good" or "inferior." This etymology directly reflects the various meanings of the word, encompassing the ideas of something being deficient or substandard.