- kozakashii clever, shrewd, crafty, cunning, pretentious, impertinent, insolent
Used to criticize someone, often a child or subordinate, for being superficially clever in a pushy or annoying way.
小賢しい真似をするな。
Kozakashii mane o suru na.
Don't act so clever.
小賢しい奴だと思われたくない。
Kozakashii yatsu da to omowaretakunai.
I don't want to be thought of as a smart aleck.
⚖️ Not to be confused with 賢い (kashikoi), which is a straightforward compliment meaning wise or smart.
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💡 Drop い to get the stem: add くない (negative), かった (past), くて (te-form).
Found in a wide range of contexts. Useful for building reading and listening fluency.
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