わざと

わざと is an adverb meaning "on purpose" or "intentionally". It indicates that an action was done deliberately, not by accident. It is placed before the verb it modifies.

Basic usage

わざと can be used in both positive and negative contexts. When someone deliberately does something, or deliberately refrains from doing something:

Nuance

わざと often carries a slightly negative connotation – it implies that someone did something intentionally in a way that may be sneaky, mean, or undesirable. It is used when accusing someone of doing something on purpose or when confessing to a deliberate act.

However, わざと can also be used neutrally or even positively when someone intentionally does something for a good reason:

わざと vs. わざわざ

Be careful not to confuse わざと with わざわざ. While わざと means "on purpose" (often with a negative nuance), わざわざ means "going out of one's way" or "taking the trouble to do something" and typically expresses appreciation or surprise at someone's effort.

• わざとこなかった来なかった – didn't come on purpose (deliberately avoided coming)
• わざわざきて来てくれた – went out of their way to come (expressing gratitude)