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How to Say ‘Unfair; sneaky’ in Japanese

ずるい

zurui

[zoo-roo-ee]

🇯🇵 In Japan: [ずるい] is often playful in flirting, more like "Hey, that's not fair" than a serious accusation. Said with a smile, it can show you liked the compliment or teasing line.

Phrase Breakdown

ずるい

zurui

[zoo-roo-ee]

sly; unfair; smooth in a sneaky way

In flirting, ずるい often means “that’s not fair” in a playful way because someone said something too charming.

Example

そんな言い方、ずるいです。

Saying it like that is unfair.

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