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How to say 'Cowardly' in Japanese | 臆病

Wondering how to say 'Cowardly' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Cowardly is 'Okubyou', written as 臆病 in Japanese.'Cowardly' in hiragana is おくびょう.

    word

    臆病

    Meaning

    Cowardly

    Reading

    おくびょう

    okubyou

    Kanji

    臆Cowardice 病Illness

    Explanation

    The Japanese adjectival noun '臆病 (おくびょう)' means 'cowardly'. It is used to describe someone who lacks courage or is easily frightened. This term often carries a negative connotation, implying timidity or fearfulness in situations where bravery is expected. For example: he is too cowardly to face the challenge「彼は臆病でその挑戦に立ち向かえない」(かれはおくびょうでそのちょうせんにたちむかえない). Don't be so cowardly!「そんなに臆病にならないで！」(そんなにおくびょうにならないで！). The word can also describe a cautious or overly timid approach to something, such as 'a cowardly attitude' (臆病な態度, おくびょうなたいど).

    Part Of Speech

    adjectival noun

    Kanji JLPT

    Unknown

    Kanji Grade

    10

    Frequency

    5039

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word 臆病

This word contains 2 kanji characters:

  • kanji

    臆

    Meaning

    Cowardice

  • kanji

    病

    Meaning

    Illness

Words Related to 臆病 Through the Kanji 病

These 8 Words contain the Kanji 病 as well.

  • word

    病気

    Meaning

    Illness

  • word

    病院

    Meaning

    Hospital

  • word

    病

    Meaning

    Disease

  • word

    急病

    Meaning

    Sudden illness

  • word

    看病

    Meaning

    Nursing

  • word

    病室

    Meaning

    Hospital room

  • word

    病人

    Meaning

    Sick person

  • word

    病死

    Meaning

    Illness, Death

Learn the Word 臆病

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What does 'Okubyou' (臆病) mean?

'Okubyou' means 'Cowardly' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.