Translation guide
The feeling or state of not being good enough, sufficient, or capable. This guide helps learners express inadequacy naturally in Japanese, covering personal insufficiency, lack of ability, and systemic shortcomings.
Expressing a sense of personal insufficiency, lack of confidence, or feeling that one does not measure up.
Literally 'I have no confidence in myself.' This is the most natural way to express a general sense of inadequacy or low self-esteem.
新しい仕事で、自分に自信がなくて不安です。
I feel anxious because I lack confidence in myself at my new job.
An inferiority complex; a deep-seated feeling of being inferior to others. Often used in psychological contexts.
彼は学歴に劣等感を持っている。
He has an inferiority complex about his educational background.
Colloquial way to say 'I think I'm no good.' Expresses a feeling of personal inadequacy or failure.
失敗ばかりで、自分はダメだと思う。
I keep messing up, so I think I'm useless.
Describing a lack of quantity, resources, or capacity; something is not sufficient.
Shortage, deficiency, insufficiency. Used for tangible things like money, staff, or sleep.
資金不足でプロジェクトが中止になった。
The project was canceled due to a lack of funds.
睡眠不足が続いている。
I've been suffering from a lack of sleep.
Insufficient, inadequate. Emphasizes that something is not enough to meet a standard or requirement.
Not enough, lacking. A common, everyday word for insufficiency.
Describing a person's inability to perform a task or role adequately.
Describing flaws or shortcomings in a system, plan, or organization.
Defect, deficiency, inadequacy. Often used for flaws in systems, preparations, or documents.
システムに不備が見つかった。
A flaw was found in the system.
Defect, flaw, shortcoming. Can refer to physical defects or abstract flaws in arguments, products, etc.
The state of being insufficient; inadequacy as a noun. More abstract and formal.
現在の対策の不十分さが指摘された。
The inadequacy of the current measures was pointed out.
There is no single Japanese word that covers all uses of 'inadequacy.' Translating it directly as 不十分さ or 不足 may sound unnatural in many contexts. Choose the expression that matches the specific nuance: personal feeling, lack of resources, incompetence, or systemic flaw.
不足 (ふそく) is used for a simple lack of quantity (e.g., 資金不足 lack of funds). 不十分 (ふじゅうぶん) implies that something is not enough to meet a standard or expectation (e.g., 不十分な証拠 insufficient evidence).
証拠が不十分で起訴できなかった。
They couldn't indict him because the evidence was insufficient.
We don't have enough people, so please help.
Lack of ability or power; feeling that one's own skills are insufficient for the task. Often used humbly.
私では力不足ですので、他の方にお願いします。
I'm not capable enough, so please ask someone else.
彼はその役職に不適格だと判断された。
He was judged to be unqualified for the position.
この製品には設計上の欠陥がある。
This product has a design flaw.