もったいない

Quick Meaning

もったいない means "wasteful; a waste; impious; profane; sacrilegious; too good; more than one deserves; unworthy of".

Reading

• Furigana: もったいない
• Romaji: mottainai

Study Flow

First read もったいない aloud, then connect the sound "mottainai" with the meaning "wasteful; a waste; impious; profane; sacrilegious; too good; more than one deserves; unworthy of".

Recall Practice

1. Cover the English and say the meaning of もったいない.
2. Cover the Japanese and write the word for "wasteful; a waste; impious; profane; sacrilegious; too good; more than one deserves; unworthy of".
3. Say the romaji aloud: mottainai.

Mini Sentence Drill

Write one short sentence using もったいない. Keep the sentence simple, then upgrade it with a time word or place word.

Next Step

Add this word to your review queue and revisit it inside a real sentence.