適当(てきとう)

てきとう
na-adjective, noun
suitable; sloppy
descriptive
1. suitable, appropriate, proper
Fitting or appropriate for a particular purpose or situation.
この部屋(へや)は会議(かいぎ)に適当(てきとう)だ。
This room is suitable for meetings.
適当(てきとう)な大(おお)きさに切(き)ってください。
Please cut it to an appropriate size.
適当(てきとう)な運動(うんどう)は健康(けんこう)に良(よ)いと言(い)われている。
It is said that moderate exercise is good for your health.
この仕事(しごと)に適当(てきとう)な人(ひと)を探(さが)しているのですが、なかなか見(み)つかりません。
I'm looking for a suitable person for this job, but I can't seem to find one.
子供(こども)の年齢(ねんれい)に適当(てきとう)な本(ほん)を選(えら)んであげたいのですが、どれがいいか教(おし)えてもらえますか。
I'd like to choose a book that's appropriate for my child's age — could you tell me which one would be good?
2. random, sloppy, half-hearted
Done without much thought or care; careless or irresponsible (often negative).
適当(てきとう)なことを言(い)うな。
Don't say random things.
適当(てきとう)に答(こた)えないでください。
Please don't answer carelessly.
適当(てきとう)な理由(りゆう)をつけて断(ことわ)ってしまった。
I made up some random excuse and turned it down.
仕事(しごと)を適当(てきとう)にやっていると、いつか大(おお)きな失敗(しっぱい)をするよ。
If you keep doing your work sloppily, you'll make a big mistake someday.
あの人(ひと)はいつも適当(てきとう)なことを言(い)うから、誰(だれ)も本気(ほんき)で話(はなし)を聞(き)かなくなってしまった。
That person always says random things, so nobody takes what they say seriously anymore.

適当(てきとう) has two nearly opposite meanings depending on context.

SENSE 1 (positive): Suitable, appropriate

SENSE 2 (negative): Careless, sloppy

Telling the senses apart: the adverbial form is the strongest cue. 適当(てきとう)に + verb is almost always sense 2 — doing something offhandedly, without care. The attributive 適当(てきとう)な + noun is the ambiguous one: with a noun naming a quality being sought (大(おお)きさ, 値段(ねだん), 人(ひと)) it reads as sense 1, but with a noun for something said or produced (こと, 理由(りゆう), 返事(へんじ)) it reads as sense 2. Because of this ambiguity, writers who mean only "appropriate" often choose 適切(てきせつ) instead.

Similar words

Context is key to understanding which meaning is intended.

Related Words

Compare: 適切(てきせつ) (appropriate (always positive))
Compare: 適度(てきど) (moderate, proper degree)
Related: 加減(かげん) (いい加減: half-hearted, irresponsible)
Compare: いい加減(かげん) (half-hearted, irresponsible)
Compare: 大雑把(おおざっぱ) (rough)
Compare: 適正(てきせい) (proper)
Compare: 適切(てきせつ)に (appropriately)
Compare: 適切(てきせつ)な (appropriate)
Compare: 雑(ざつ)な (careless)
core
Added 2026.1.9 21:28 · Revised 2026.9.4 21:29
01500/01674_tekitou