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How to say 'Waste' in Japanese | もったい

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

The Japanese word for Waste is 'Mottai', written as もったい in Japanese.

    Meaning

    Waste

    Reading

    Mottai

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun 'もったい (mottai)' means 'waste' and is often used to express regret or concern over something being wasted or not utilized properly. It carries a sense of value or preciousness being lost. For example: It's a waste to throw away food「食べ物を捨てるのはもったいない」(たべものをすてるのはもったいない). It's a waste of talent「才能がもったいない」(さいのうがもったいない). The word is commonly used in the phrase 'もったいない (mottai nai)', which emphasizes the feeling of something being too good to waste.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Frequency

    5488

    Composition

    hiragana

    Handwriting

Hiragana in the Word もったい

This word contains 4 Hiragana characters :

  • hiragana

    Reading

    Mo
  • hiragana

    Reading

    Ta
  • hiragana

    Reading

    I
  • hiragana

    Reading

    Tsu

Learn the Word もったい

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What does 'Mottai' (もったい) mean?

'Mottai' means 'Waste' .

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