くだらない

くだらない
i-adjective
worthless, trivial, stupid
1. worthless, trivial, pointless
Describes something that has no value, importance, or meaning. Used to dismiss things as a waste of time.
くだらない(はなし)だな。
What a pointless story.
くだらないことに時間(じかん)使(つか)うな。
Don't waste time on trivial things.
こんなくだらない番組(ばんぐみ)()るなよ。
Don't watch such a worthless show.
2. stupid, silly, ridiculous
Describes something as foolish or not worthy of serious consideration.
くだらない冗談(じょうだん)はやめろ。
Cut it out with the stupid jokes.
喧嘩(けんか)原因(げんいん)がくだらなすぎる。
The reason for the fight is too ridiculous.
くだらないと(おも)いつつも(わら)ってしまった。
I ended up laughing even though I thought it was silly.

くだらない is a common word for dismissing something as worthless or stupid. Despite looking like a negative verb form, it functions as an i-adjective.

Etymology: Derived from (くだ)る (to go down), possibly from the Edo-period phrase 「(くだ)らない(さけ)」 (sake that doesn't come down from Kyoto, implying inferior quality).

Casual contractions:

  • くだんない (very casual)

Common collocations:

  • くだらない(はなし) (pointless talk)
  • くだらない質問(しつもん) (stupid question)
  • くだらない理由(りゆう) (trivial reason)