こすい
こすい
i-adjective
sly
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | こすい | こすくない |
| Past | こすかった | こすくなかった |
| て form | こすくて | こすくなくて |
| Adverbial | こすく | — |
| Conditional ば | こすければ | こすくなければ |
| Conditional たら | こすかったら | こすくなかったら |
1.
sly
cunning; crafty; sneaky; stingy in a calculating way
Usage
- Implies cleverness used for selfish gain
- Can include being stingy or penny-pinching in a calculating way
- Has a negative, critical connotation
Common collocations
- こすい手 (sneaky trick/method)
- こすいやり方 (underhanded approach)
- こすい人 (sly/crafty person)
- こすい真似 (sneaky behavior)
Similar words
- ずるい: Sly, unfair (standard Japanese, more common)
- 狡猾: Cunning, crafty (more formal/literary)
- せこい: Petty, small-minded (similar colloquial feel)
Register
Informal; colloquial and critical.
Related Words
Compare:
狡い (Sly, unfair)
Compare:
狡猾 (Cunning, crafty)
Compare:
せこい (Petty, small-minded)