The Meaning of kudaranai [下らない] In Japanese

下らない
くだらない
Romaji: kudaranai N5

What does 下らない mean?

Translation and Meaning

trivial, worthless, silly; nonsensical, petty

Definition

What does 下らない mean? It means trivial or worthless; something regarded as frivolous or of little consequence. Often used to dismiss ideas, remarks, or works as lacking value.

Type

Adjective (イ形容詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • trivial, of little importance or consequence
  • silly or nonsensical; lacking seriousness
  • frivolous or petty behavior or remarks
  • worthless or of poor quality; not worth consideration

Composition

  • 下: below, down; in this compound it signals a value judgment that what follows is perceived as inferior or not worthy
  • らない: negative suffix that turns the stem into a negative adjective in modern Japanese, tracing back to the classical らぬ

Usage

Used as an i-adjective in casual and neutral contexts. It directly modifies nouns to express that something is of little value or interest, and it can function as a predicate to describe a situation or remark. It is common in everyday speech and informal writing, but less common in formal discourse.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: associate the word with something being rated down in value; imagine a shelf with a down arrow labeling items as worthless to recall that kudaranai means trivial or worthless.

Variations

  • つまらない (tsumaranai) – dull, uninteresting
  • 有意義な (yūigina) – meaningful, worthwhile
  • くだらん (kudaran) – Kansai dialect variant

Example Phrases

  • こんな下らない話、もう聞く気はない。
    Konna kudaranai hanashi, mou kiku ki wa nai.
    I won’t listen to such a trivial talk anymore.
    Lista:
    • こんな (konna) – such
    • 下らない (kudaranai) – trivial
    • 話 (hanashi) – talk
    • もう (mou) – anymore
    • 聞く (kiku) – to listen
    • 気は (ki wa) – interest
    • ない (nai) – not
    下らない is an i-adjective meaning ‘worthless/trivial’ that directly modifies a noun; here it forms 「こんな「下らない」話」 meaning ‘such a trivial talk’; 気はない expresses lack of interest.
下らない