A1 Collocation 非正式

まずい食べ物

mazui tabemono

Bad tasting food

Phrase in 30 Seconds

A direct and blunt way to describe food that tastes unpleasant or poorly prepared.

  • Means: Food that tastes bad or is unpalatable.
  • Used in: Casual conversations with friends or family about bad meals.
  • Don't confuse: With 'oishikunai', which is a much softer and more polite way to say 'not delicious'.
🤢 + 🍱 = 🙅‍♂️ (Bad taste + Food = No thanks!)

Explanation at your level:

This is a very basic phrase. '{不味い|まずい}' means 'bad taste' and '{食べ物|たべもの}' means 'food'. You use it to say you don't like what you are eating. It is the opposite of 'Oishii tabemono'. Be careful, it is a very strong word!
At this level, you should know that '{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}' is an i-adjective phrase. You can use it to describe meals you had in the past using '{不味|まず}かったです'. Remember that using this phrase in a restaurant is usually considered impolite in Japan.
Intermediate learners should distinguish between '{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}' and the more polite '{口|くち}に{合|あ}わない{料理|りょうり}'. While 'mazui' is grammatically simple, its social implications are complex. It is often used in casual settings or when complaining to close friends about a bad experience.
Upper-intermediate students should recognize the nuances of 'mazui' in different contexts. For instance, 'mazui' can also describe a situation going wrong. However, when paired with 'tabemono', it remains literal. You should also be familiar with slang variations like 'gekimazu' used in social media contexts.
At an advanced level, one analyzes the etymological roots of 'mazui' from 'mazu' (clumsiness) and its phonetic kanji assignment. The phrase '{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}' serves as a linguistic marker of high informality or extreme dissatisfaction, often avoided in professional food criticism in favor of more descriptive sensory language.
Mastery involves understanding the sociolinguistic 'taboo' nature of the phrase within the Japanese framework of 'omotenashi' and 'itadakimasu'. A C2 learner understands that 'mazui tabemono' is not just a descriptor but a potential social weapon, and knows how to navigate the delicate balance between honesty and social harmony through sophisticated euphemisms.

意思

Food that has an unpleasant taste.

🌍

文化背景

The concept of 'Mottainai' (wastefulness) makes it culturally difficult to call food 'mazui' because you are expected to finish it regardless of taste. TV food reporters use 'fushigi na aji' (mysterious taste) as a code word for 'mazui' to avoid being rude to the restaurant owners. In a business setting, if food is bad, one simply says 'I am full' to stop eating without insulting the host. Young people use 'Gekimazu' as a bonding experience, often filming themselves eating weird food combinations for social media.

⚠️

Social Danger

Using 'mazui' in a restaurant can lead to very awkward situations. Stick to 'oishikunai' if you must say something.

🎯

The 'Mazu' Face

If you want to sound native, say 'Mazu!' with a short, clipped ending when you first taste something bad.

意思

Food that has an unpleasant taste.

⚠️

Social Danger

Using 'mazui' in a restaurant can lead to very awkward situations. Stick to 'oishikunai' if you must say something.

🎯

The 'Mazu' Face

If you want to sound native, say 'Mazu!' with a short, clipped ending when you first taste something bad.

💬

Humble Cooking

If you cook for others, you might say 'Mazui desu ga...' (It's bad, but...), but your guests will always reply 'Oishii desu!' (It's delicious!).

自我测试

Fill in the blank with the correct form of 'mazui'.

この{料理|りょうり}はとても（　　）{食べ物|たべもの}です。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： 不味い

I-adjectives like 'mazui' connect directly to nouns.

Which phrase is the most polite way to say food is bad?

Which is better to use in a restaurant?

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： おいしくないです

'Oishikunai' is the negative form of 'Oishii' and is much softer than 'Mazui'.

Complete the dialogue.

A: このお{菓子|かし}、どう？ B: うーん、ちょっと（　　）。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： 不味い食べ物だね

The context 'うーん、ちょっと' suggests a negative opinion.

Match the phrase to the situation.

When you eat something terrible alone.

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： 不味い！

You can use the adjective alone as an exclamation.

🎉 得分： /4

视觉学习工具

Politeness Scale for Bad Food

Very Rude/Blunt
激まず Extremely gross
不味い Bad taste
Neutral/Safe
おいしくない Not delicious
Polite/Adult
口に合わない Doesn't suit me

常见问题

5 个问题

Not always. It's fine to use it for yourself or with very close friends, but it's rude to use it about someone else's effort.

Yes, but usually you would say 'mazui nomimono' or just 'kore, mazui'.

The opposite is 'oishii tabemono' (delicious food).

You can say 'chotto hen na aji ga suru' (it has a bit of a strange taste).

Rarely. In formal reports, you would use 'shitsu no hikui' (low quality) or 'mi-seijuku na' (unripe/unskilled).

相关表达

🔗

おいしくない

similar

Not delicious

🔗

激まず

specialized form

Extremely bad tasting

🔄

口に合わない

synonym

Doesn't suit my palate

🔗

ひどい味

similar

Terrible taste

在哪里用

🏪

At a convenience store with a friend

Friend: その{新商品|しんしょうひん}、どう？

You: うわっ、これ、{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}だよ。{買|か}わないほうがいい。

informal
🍳

Talking to yourself while cooking

You: {失敗|しっぱい}した...。{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}になっちゃった。

informal
📺

Watching a 'Punishment Game' on TV

TV Host: さあ、この{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}を{食|た}べてください！

Comedian: いやだー！{絶対|ぜったい}にまずい！

informal
🏨

Reviewing a bad hostel breakfast

Traveler A: {朝御飯|あさごはん}、どうだった？

Traveler B: ひどかったです。{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}ばかりでした。

neutral
📱

Texting a sibling about a bad cafe

Sibling: あのカフェ、どう？

You: {最悪|さいあく}。{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}に1000{円|えん}も{払|はら}っちゃった。

informal
🧒

Discussing childhood dislikes

Person A: {子供|こども}の{時|とき}、ピーマンは{不味い|まずい}{食べ物|たべもの}だと{思|おも}っていました。

Person B: わかります。私も{嫌|きら}いでした。

informal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a 'Ma' (Mom) who is 'Zui' (clumsy) making 'Tabemono' (food). It's Mazui Tabemono!

Visual Association

Picture a bright purple soup with green bubbles. A person takes a sip and their face turns into a 'sour' emoji (😖).

Rhyme

Mazui, mazui, don't put it in your tummy!

Story

You go to a restaurant called 'The Clumsy Chef'. He serves you a plate of burnt rubber. You look at it and say, 'This is definitely mazui tabemono.' You leave without paying.

Word Web

おいしい (Delicious)にがい (Bitter)まずい (Bad taste)たべもの (Food)りょうり (Cooking)あじ (Taste)くちにあわない (Doesn't suit palate)

挑战

Go to a convenience store, find the weirdest looking snack, try it, and if it's bad, say 'Mazui!' out loud (but not too loud!).

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Comida asquerosa

Spanish has more varied degrees of 'badness' than the simple 'mazui'.

French high

Nourriture dégueulasse

French people are often more vocal about bad food than Japanese people.

German moderate

Ekelhaftes Essen

German directness makes the social taboo of the phrase much lower.

Arabic high

طعام سيء المذاق

Arabic often includes religious expressions of gratitude even if food is bad.

Chinese high

难吃的食物

The Chinese term is slightly more descriptive of the physical act of eating.

Korean high

맛없는 음식

The Korean logic is 'absence of taste' rather than 'presence of bad taste'.

Portuguese high

Comida ruim

Portuguese 'ruim' can also mean 'evil' or 'low quality' in general.

English high

Gross food

English has many more synonyms like 'yucky', 'foul', or 'unpalatable'.

Easily Confused

まずい食べ物 对比 まずい状況

Learners might think it means 'bad-tasting situation'.

When 'mazui' is not followed by a food word, it usually means 'awkward' or 'troublesome'.

まずい食べ物 对比 苦い食べ物

Learners confuse 'bitter' (nigai) with 'bad' (mazui).

Nigai is a specific flavor (like coffee), while mazui is a general negative judgment.

常见问题 (5)

Not always. It's fine to use it for yourself or with very close friends, but it's rude to use it about someone else's effort.

Yes, but usually you would say 'mazui nomimono' or just 'kore, mazui'.

The opposite is 'oishii tabemono' (delicious food).

You can say 'chotto hen na aji ga suru' (it has a bit of a strange taste).

Rarely. In formal reports, you would use 'shitsu no hikui' (low quality) or 'mi-seijuku na' (unripe/unskilled).

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