- usankusai suspicious-looking, shady, questionable, dubious, fishy
Used in casual speech to describe someone or something that seems untrustworthy or shifty, often based on appearance or gut feeling.
あの胡散臭い男には近づかないほうがいい。
Ano usankusai otoko ni wa chikazukanai hō ga ii.
You'd better not go near that shady man.
胡散臭い話だけど、本当かもしれない。
Usankusai hanashi dakedo, hontō kamoshirenai.
It's a fishy story, but it might be true.
⚖️ Often confused with 怪しい (ayashii), which is broader; 胡散臭い focuses more on a suspicious look or vibe.
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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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