わざと

わざと
adverb
on purpose, intentionally
1. on purpose, intentionally, deliberately
Doing something with conscious intention rather than by accident.
わざとやったんですか。
Did you do it on purpose?
彼女(かのじょ)はわざと無視(むし)した。
She deliberately ignored me.
わざと間違(まちが)えたわけではない。
I didn't make the mistake on purpose.
Often used in negative sentences to deny intentionality
(かれ)はわざと(おお)きな(こえ)()して、みんなの注意(ちゅうい)()いた。
He deliberately raised his voice to get everyone's attention.
わざと()けたのか、それとも本当(ほんとう)()けたのか、(だれ)にもわからなかった。
Nobody could tell whether he lost on purpose or truly lost.

USAGE: わざと emphasizes that an action was done intentionally, often with a slightly negative nuance suggesting the action was improper or meant to cause trouble.

CONTRAST:

  • わざと - on purpose (often negative nuance)
  • 意図的(いとてき)に - intentionally (neutral, formal)
  • 故意(こい)に - deliberately (legal/formal, negative)
  • うっかり - carelessly, accidentally (opposite)

POSITION: Usually placed before the verb it modifies.