頼りない
たよりない
adjective (i)
unreliable; undependable; flimsy
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 頼りない | 頼りなくない |
| Past | 頼りなかった | 頼りなくなかった |
| て form | 頼りなくて | 頼りなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 頼りなく | — |
| Conditional ば | 頼りなければ | 頼りなくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 頼りなかったら | 頼りなくなかったら |
1.
unreliable; undependable; unsteady
Describes a person, thing, or situation that does not inspire confidence and cannot be counted on.
彼はちょっと頼りない。
He's a bit unreliable.
頼りない返事に不安を感じた。
I felt uneasy at the wishy-washy reply.
入社したばかりの頃は頼りなく見えたが、今ではすっかり一人前だ。
He seemed unreliable when he first joined the company, but now he's fully competent.
An i-adjective formed from 頼り (reliance) + ない (not). Literally "not reliable."
FORMS:
- Adverbial: 頼りなく
- Noun form: 頼りなさ
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 頼りない人: an unreliable person
- 頼りない返事: a vague/uncertain reply
- 頼りなく見える: to look unreliable
- 頼りない足取り: unsteady steps
CONTRAST:
- 頼もしい: reliable, reassuring, dependable (opposite)
- 頼りになる: to be someone you can count on
- 頼りない: undependable, inspiring no confidence
NOTE:
Often used to describe people who seem inexperienced or lacking confidence, not necessarily those who break promises.