In Japanese, there are some words and phrases that even native speakers tend to use incorrectly. “Yakubusoku” is one such word.

The word “yakubusoku” is made up of two parts: “yaku” (role) and “fusoku” (shortage or deficiency). The original meaning of the word is when you are unsatisfied with a role or task that is given to you because that task isn’t a challenge or is somehow unfulfilling. For example, if a company assigns menial labor to a highly-skilled worker, they might say that the job is “yakubusoku” for them.

Many Japanese people, however, use the word in a way that is different from this intended meaning. In fact, a common way in which the word is used is in fact the opposite of the term’s original meaning. For example, one might say “watashi wa sono shigoto ni wa yakubusoku desu” (“I’m not skilled enough for the job”). In such situations, they should have said “chikarabusoku” instead of “yakubusoku”. The term “chikarabusoku” is, likewise, made of two parts: “chikara” (power or ability) and “fusoku”, and means to lack the ability for a role or task. It is the correct word to use when you don’t feel confident in your ability to be successful in some endeavor.

Bunkacho, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, regularly carries out opinion surveys about the Japanese language in modern use. According to this survey, more than half of the respondents incorrectly identified the meaning of “yakubusoku”. In 2014, for instance, 51% of people did not appropriately define the term “yakubusoku”. The 2014 survey pointed out that there are in fact a handful of expressions that, in everyday speech, are used in ways that are different from their original meanings.

- nagare ni sao sasu: “go with the flow” (many mistake for “resisting change”)
- ki ga okenai: “feel at ease with ~” (often mistaken for “have to hold back with ~”)
- funpan mono: “can’t help laughing” (taken to mean “easily irritated by ~”)

In Japanese, there are some phrases that even native speakers do not use correctly. “Yakubusoku” is one example.

The word “yakubusoku” is made up of two parts: “yaku” (role) and “fusoku” (shortage). The original meaning is that you are unhappy with a role that is given to you. This is usually because the role is unfulfilling. For example, some companies might ask a highly-skilled worker to do menial labor. That worker might say that the job is “yakubusoku”.

Many Japanese people, however, use the word in a different way. Commonly, they use it to mean the opposite of the term’s original meaning. For example, one might say “watashi wa sono shigoto ni wa yakubusoku desu” (“I’m not skilled enough for the job”). In this situation, they should have said “chikarabusoku”. The term “chikarabusoku” is made up of two parts: “chikara” (power or ability) and “fusoku”. It means you don’t have the skill for a role. It is the correct word to use when you don’t feel you can be successful in some role.

Bunkacho, the Agency for Cultural Affairs, regularly makes surveys about how Japanese is used today. The survey showed that more than half of the people Bunkacho asked did not use the original meaning of “yakubusoku”. In 2014, for example, 51% of people did not say the original meaning for “yakubusoku”. The 2014 survey also showed that there are a few things that people say in everyday speech that are different from their original meanings.

- nagare ni sao sasu: “go with the flow” (many mistake for “resisting change”)
- ki ga okenai: “feel at ease with ~” (often mistaken for “have to hold back with ~”)
- funpan mono: “can’t help laughing” (taken to mean “easily irritated by ~”)