1.
poor handwriting; scrawl; hastily written letter
messy or careless handwriting, or a letter written in haste; often used as a humble apology for one's own writing
Composed of 乱 (disorder; messy) + 筆 (writing brush; writing). This word is most often used as a formulaic humble expression at the end of handwritten letters and notes to apologize for untidy writing. Even when the writer's handwriting is perfectly legible, it functions as a polite self-deprecation.
Common collocations
- 乱筆ご容赦ください: please forgive my poor handwriting
- 乱筆乱文: messy handwriting and rough composition (paired phrase)
- 乱筆にて失礼いたします: I apologize for the poor handwriting
- 乱筆で申し訳ありません: I'm sorry for the poor handwriting
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This is a formal, written expression. It belongs to the tradition of humble self-reference in Japanese letter-writing. It is rarely used in casual contexts and is almost exclusively found in handwritten correspondence.
Similar words
- 乱文: rough or disorganized composition — often paired with 乱筆
- 悪筆: bad handwriting — a more direct, less formal description of poor penmanship