煮え切らない
にえきらない
i-adjective, expression
indecisive; wishy-washy; half-hearted
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 煮え切らない | 煮え切らなくない |
| Past | 煮え切らなかった | 煮え切らなくなかった |
| て form | 煮え切らなくて | 煮え切らなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 煮え切らなく | — |
| Conditional ば | 煮え切らなければ | 煮え切らなくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 煮え切らなかったら | 煮え切らなくなかったら |
1.
indecisive; wishy-washy; noncommittal; half-hearted
Describes a person or attitude that is unable or unwilling to commit to a clear decision or position. Literally means 'not fully boiled,' conveying the image of something that hasn't reached a definitive state.
煮え切らない返事だった。
It was a noncommittal reply.
彼の煮え切らない態度にイライラする。
His wishy-washy attitude frustrates me.
いつまでも煮え切らない答えばかりで、結局何も決まらなかった。
Nothing was decided in the end because the answers were always half-hearted.
USAGE:
Always used negatively to express frustration with someone's lack of decisiveness. The literal image is of food that hasn't boiled through properly — neither done nor undone.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 煮え切らない態度 (wishy-washy attitude)
- 煮え切らない返事 (a noncommittal reply)
- 煮え切らない答え (an indecisive answer)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 優柔不断: indecisive — a na-adjective describing someone's personality trait
- はっきりしない: unclear, vague — more neutral, less negative