Translation guide
The quality of not being level, smooth, or regular. This guide covers physical surfaces, distribution, quality, and abstract irregularity.
Describing a surface that is not flat or smooth, such as a road, floor, or skin texture.
Describing something that is not uniform, such as performance, color, or thickness.
Commonly used for unevenness in color, texture, cooking, or work quality. Often written in katakana.
Describing inconsistency in performance, mood, or standards.
Literally 'there are waves', used to describe ups and downs in performance, mood, or quality.
彼の成績は波がある。
His grades are uneven.
Describes a temperamental or capricious personality, where mood or effort is inconsistent.
凸凹 is for physical bumps and dips. ムラ is for unevenness in color, texture, or quality. ばらつき is for statistical variation or inconsistency in data/quality.
Direct translations like '不平均' are rarely used. Choose the word that fits the specific type of unevenness.
The most common word for physical unevenness, implying bumps and dips. Used for roads, surfaces, and also metaphorically for imbalance.
この道は凸凹が多くて歩きにくい。
This road is very uneven and hard to walk on.
Technical term for unevenness in construction or flooring, referring to lack of flatness.
床の不陸を修正する必要がある。
We need to fix the unevenness of the floor.
Refers to undulations or rises and falls in terrain, like hills and valleys. More about natural landscape than small bumps.
この地域は起伏が激しい。
This area has very rugged terrain.
塗装にムラがある。
The paint job is uneven.
焼き色にムラができた。
The browning is uneven.
Refers to variation or dispersion in data, quality, or results. Often used in technical or business contexts.
製品の品質にばらつきがある。
There is unevenness in product quality.
Formal term for lack of uniformity, used in scientific or technical descriptions.
混合物が不均一だった。
The mixture was uneven.
彼女はむら気で、やる気にむらがある。
She is temperamental and her motivation is uneven.
Means not uniform in size, shape, or standard. Often used for sets of things that should match.
不揃いの野菜を安く売っている。
They sell uneven-sized vegetables cheaply.