Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
“On purpose,” “intentionally,” “deliberately.”
🎯 Primary Function
An adverb used to indicate that an action was done with conscious intent, not accidentally.
📋 Grammar Structure
わざと + Verb
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Can be used, but often in contexts describing someone’s intentional action. More formal alternatives like 故意に (koini) exist.
Informal Situations
Very commonly used in everyday conversation.
Written Language
Frequently appears in written text, including literature and articles.
Spoken Language
Very common in spoken Japanese.
💡 Common Applications
Describing a seemingly clumsy action that was done on purpose.
Use わざと when someone makes a mistake or causes a small accident deliberately.
Example: 彼は彼女の注意を引くために、わざとコーヒーをこぼした。 (Kare wa kanojo no chūi o hiku tame ni, wazato kōhī o koboshita.) – He spilled the coffee on purpose to get her attention.
Describing actions taken to annoy or tease someone.
It often carries a nuance of mischievous or playful intent, or sometimes negative intent.
Example: 妹はいつも私を困らせるために、わざと私のものを隠す。 (Imōto wa itsumo watashi o komaraseru tame ni, wazato watashi no mono o kakusu.) – My younger sister always hides my things on purpose to annoy me.
Indicating a deliberate choice or action.
Can also be used for non-negative deliberate actions, though context is important.
Example: 先生は生徒に考えさせるために、わざと間違った答えを言った。 (Sensei wa seito ni kangaesaseru tame ni, wazato machigatta kotae o itta.) – The teacher deliberately gave a wrong answer to make the students think.
Frequency
Common
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Example Sentences
子供は親の反応を見るために、わざと変な顔をした。
The child made a strange face on purpose to see their parents’ reaction.
彼は試合に負けるように、わざと手を抜いた。
He deliberately didn’t try his best (pulled his punches) so that he would lose the match.
彼女は彼に話しかけてほしいので、わざと近くを歩いた。
She deliberately walked nearby because she wanted him to talk to her.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Implies conscious intent.
The key meaning of わざと is that the action was not accidental. The person performing the action knew what they were doing and chose to do it.
Example: 間違えたのは事故ではなく、わざとだった。(Machigaeta no wa jiko de wa naku, wazato datta.) – The mistake wasn’t an accident, it was on purpose.
Often carries a slight nuance.
While it strictly means “on purpose,” わざと often implies a nuance that the action was potentially unnecessary, slightly mischievous, annoying, or done with an ulterior motive, especially when describing someone else’s actions.
Example: 彼女は私のケーキをわざと食べた。(Kanojo wa watashi no kēki o wazato tabeta.) – She ate my cake on purpose (implying maybe she did it to annoy me or without good reason).
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ Confusing it with accidental actions.
✅ Use expressions like うっかり (ukkari) or 思わず (omowazu) for actions done accidentally or unintentionally.
わざと is the opposite of doing something by mistake (間違えて machigaete) or accidentally (うっかり ukkari).
❌ Overusing it for simple intentional actions without any specific nuance.
✅ For neutral intentional actions, context or other phrases might be more natural, although わざと isn’t strictly wrong.
While “I went there on purpose” could technically use わざと, a simple statement like 「そこに行きました」(Soko ni ikimashita – I went there) might be sufficient unless you want to emphasize the *deliberate* nature against, say, going by chance.
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Generally neutral, but describing someone else’s “wazato” action can sometimes imply criticism or annoyance, depending on the context and the action itself.
Social Situations: Commonly used in casual conversation to describe deliberate actions, often those that caused some slight trouble or surprise. Less common in highly formal or respectful contexts unless specifically needing to state intent clearly.
Regional Variations: Standard usage across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
わざと vs. 故意に (こい に)
故意に is more formal, stronger, and strictly means “intentionally,” often used in legal or serious contexts.
When to use: Use わざと in everyday conversation for common intentional actions. Use 故意に for more formal, serious, or legal discussions about intent.
わざと vs. わざわざ
わざわざ means “going out of one’s way to do something.” It implies putting extra effort into an action, often for someone else or out of politeness/kindness, but not necessarily with the “on purpose” connotation of わざと.
When to use: Use わざと for actions done intentionally, often with a specific outcome in mind (sometimes slightly negative or mischievous). Use わざわざ for actions where someone makes a special effort.
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When to use: undefined
📝 Conjugation Notes
Adverb; does not conjugate.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
Pronounced wah-zah-toh. The stress is relatively flat, slightly emphasizing the first syllable.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of someone doing something “on purpose” or “deliberately,” perhaps with a slightly mischievous or planned intent. Associate it with actions that aren’t accidental.
Practice Exercises
友達が私のためにケーキを作ってくれた。大変だったろうに、＿＿＿作ってくれたんだ。
わざと
うっかり
わざわざ
たまたま
彼はつまらないと思った時、＿＿＿あくびをした。
うっかり
たまたま
わざと
思わず
3 Views
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