immersionlog

なまじ(っか)

half-heartedly, a little (which only makes it worse)

なまじ + Verb / Noun · なまじの + Noun

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なまじ says that doing or having something only partly backfires, and you'd have been better off with none at all: なまじ知識があるせいで、かえって迷ってしまう, "knowing just a little is exactly what gets me confused".

The typical shape is なまじ A から / ために / せいで, followed by an unfortunate result, often with かえって ("on the contrary") or so on. As a modifier, なまじの means "half-baked": なまじの知識.

なまじっか is a more emphatic, conversational version.

Compare せっかく, "having gone to the trouble", which regrets that an effort was wasted. なまじ regrets that the half-effort itself caused the problem.

Examples

  • なまじ知識ちしきがあるせいで、かえって迷まよってしまう。

    Knowing just a little is exactly what gets me confused.

  • なまじ期待きたいしたので、がっかりも大おおきかった。

    Because I'd half got my hopes up, the disappointment was all the bigger.

  • なまじ口くちを出だすと、話はなしがややこしくなる。

    Butting in half-heartedly only makes things complicated.

  • なまじ顔かおを知しっているから、かえって断ことわりにくい。

    Because I sort of know him, it's actually harder to say no.

  • なまじの知識ちしきでは役やくに立たたない。

    Half-baked knowledge is no use.

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