Translation guide
Describes a person or animal that is unattractively thin, often with a sense of being bony or weak. Japanese has several words that capture different nuances of 'scrawny', from neutral thinness to negative gauntness.
Describe someone or something as thin in a way that looks weak, bony, or unattractive.
A common, slightly derogatory term for a scrawny person or animal. Emphasizes thinness and lack of substance.
Describe a plant or tree that is thin, weak, and lacking vigor.
Describes something tall and thin but weak, like a spindly plant or a lanky person. Often used for seedlings or young trees.
ひょろひょろした苗木を支えた。
I supported the scrawny seedling.
痩せっぽち is a common, mildly derogatory term for a scrawny person or animal. ガリガリ is more colloquial and emphasizes a bony, skinny appearance, often used in casual speech. 痩せこけた implies a gaunt, hollow look, often from illness or malnutrition, and is more serious in tone.
Direct translations like 痩せている (thin) lack the negative connotation of 'scrawny'. Use words like 痩せっぽち or ガリガリ to convey the unattractive, bony aspect.
あの犬は痩せっぽちで、見ていてかわいそうだ。
That dog is scrawny; it's sad to look at.
Literally 'bony', used to describe a body part or person that is so thin that bones are prominent.
彼の骨張った手が震えていた。
His scrawny, bony hands were trembling.
Describes a gaunt, hollow-cheeked thinness, often from illness or hardship. Stronger and more negative than 痩せっぽち.
痩せこけた猫が路地にいた。
There was a scrawny, gaunt cat in the alley.
An onomatopoeic word implying a scrawny, bony, or skinny appearance, often used for people or animals. Can be slightly derogatory.
彼はガリガリに痩せている。
He is scrawny and skinny.
Emphasizes extreme thinness and weakness, often used in literary or descriptive contexts.
痩せ細った腕で彼女は荷物を持ち上げた。
She lifted the luggage with her scrawny, thin arms.
Means thin and delicate, often with a sense of fragility. Can be used for plants, limbs, or voices.
か細い茎が風に揺れていた。
The scrawny stem was swaying in the wind.