The Meaning of meiwaku [迷惑] In Japanese

迷惑
めいわく
Romaji: meiwaku N4

What does 迷惑 mean?

Translation and Meaning

nuisance, trouble, bother, inconvenience

Definition

What does 迷惑 mean? It denotes causing trouble or annoyance to others; a nuisance or inconvenience arising from someone’s actions.

Type

Noun (na-adjective)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • causing discomfort or disruption in daily life for other people
  • describing a person or action that imposes on others’ time or space
  • used in polite or formal contexts to refer to the burden or bothersome nature someone’s behavior imposes on others

Composition

  • 迷: to be lost, perplexed; wandering
  • 惑: to be perplexed or confused; to be drawn into something; enticed
Together they form the sense of confusion or disturbance that can impose on others, yielding the meaning of nuisance or trouble for others.

Usage

Used to describe actions or situations that impose on others, across formal and casual settings; commonly appears in apologies and workplace discussions. It conveys social inconvenience, such as noise, interruptions, or requests that burden others, and is often phrased to acknowledge the impact on others without implying intentional harm.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: think of a maze (迷) where you are lost and puzzled (惑); the combination evokes causing trouble to others because you’re not considering their time or space.

Variations

  • 面倒 mendou — synonym meaning trouble, bother
  • 邪魔 jama — synonym meaning obstruction, disturbance
  • 厄介 yakkai — synonym meaning troublesome or burdensome
  • 配慮 hairyo — related concept meaning consideration or thoughtfulness (antonym-ish nuance)

Example Phrases

  • 周囲 の 人々へ 配慮 しつつ、 迷惑 を かけない ように 気をつける。
    Shūi no hitobito e hairyo shitsutsu, meiwaku o kakenai yō ni ki o tsukeru.
    Be considerate of the people around you and try not to cause trouble.
    Lista:
    • 周囲 (shūi) – surround; the surroundings
    • の (no) – possessive/connector particle
    • 人々へ (hitobito e) – to the people
    • 配慮 (hairyo) – consideration
    • しつつ、 (shitsutsu,) – while
    • 迷惑 (meiwaku) – trouble/inconvenience
    • を (o) – object marker
    • かけない (kakenai) – do not cause
    • ように (yō ni) – in order to / so that
    • 気をつける (ki o tsukeru) – be careful
    The word 「周囲」 means the surroundings or people nearby; used with の to form 「周囲の人々」 meaning the people around you. The construction 「しつつ」 means ‘while doing’, and 「ように気をつける」 expresses being careful not to cause trouble.
  • 遅刻してしまい、周囲に迷惑をかけてしまった。
    chikoku shite shimai, shūi ni meiwaku o kakete shimatta.
    I was late and ended up causing trouble for those around me.
    Lista:
    • 遅刻してしまい (chikoku shite shimai) – having been late
    • 周囲に (shūi ni) – to the surroundings
    • 迷惑をかけてしまった (meiwaku o kakete shimatta) – caused trouble
    迷惑 is a noun; with をかける it forms ‘to cause trouble for someone’ — use 「迷惑」をかける.
迷惑