Meaning
The kanji 劣 expresses the core idea of being inferior, falling short, or being of lesser quality compared to something or someone else. Applied to a person, product, or situation, it signals ranking below the standard — in skill, condition, grade, or social position. Critical writing, academic evaluation, sports commentary, and business reports all reach for 劣 when something needs to be labeled second-best with precision.
Etymologically, 劣 is a compound ideograph (会意文字, kaii moji), meaning its shape directly illustrates its meaning by combining two existing kanji. The top component is 少 (すくない), meaning few or little. The bottom component is 力 (ちから), meaning power or strength. Put them together and the concept clicks: someone with little power naturally comes out on the inferior side. That logic — scarcity on top, weak force below — makes 劣 surprisingly intuitive once you see how it's built.
Six strokes total: 4 from 少 and 2 from 力. 劣 is classified under the 力 radical (Kangxi radical #19), the radical for force and strength. It skipped the elementary school kyōiku kanji list, but 劣 is a full Jōyō kanji (常用漢字) used regularly in formal, journalistic, and academic Japanese.
In contemporary Japanese, 劣 most often appears in compounds about quality decline, inferiority complexes, competitive disadvantage, and material degradation. Learn the key compounds and 劣 will start surfacing everywhere — newspaper headlines, academic papers, everyday critique.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi reading of 劣 is レツ (RETSU), derived from Middle Chinese and used almost exclusively in compound words (熟語, jukugo). One phonological note: before certain consonants, the ツ in レツ doubles up — gemination (促音化, sokuon-ka) — which is why 劣等 is pronounced rettou, not retsutou. Expect to see レツ constantly in formal writing, newspapers, and academic texts.
- 劣等 (rettou) — inferiority, below average, poor grade
- 劣化 (rekka) — deterioration, degradation, decline in quality
- 優劣 (yuuretsu) — superiority and inferiority, comparative merit
- 劣勢 (ressei) — disadvantageous position, being at a disadvantage
- 劣悪 (retsuaku) — vile, wretched, extremely poor quality
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The kun'yomi is おと(る) [oto(ru)]. As the verb 劣る, it means to be inferior to or to fall short of someone or something. It's intransitive — pair it with に (ni) to mark the comparison: AはBに劣る, "A is inferior to B." The verb is a staple of formal written Japanese, showing up in literary reviews, sports coverage, and business evaluations.
- 劣る (otoru) — to be inferior to, to be worse than (intransitive verb)
- 腕が劣る (ude ga otoru) — to be lesser in skill, to lack ability
- 一歩劣る (ippo otoru) — to fall one step behind, to be slightly inferior
Common Words & Compounds
Below are key 劣 compounds, grouped by theme. All appear in N1-level texts — working through each group pays off in actual reading.
Quality and Physical Condition
- 劣化 (rekka) — deterioration, degradation (of materials, image quality, relationships)
- 劣悪 (retsuaku) — terrible, wretched, very poor quality (often describes conditions or environments)
- 粗劣 (soretsu) — crude and inferior, rough and low quality
- 低劣 (teiretsu) — low grade, base, vulgar
- 拙劣 (setsuretsu) — clumsy, inept, unskillful (used for writing, craftsmanship, or technique)
Comparison and Ranking
- 優劣 (yuuretsu) — relative merit, which is better or worse, superiority vs. inferiority
- 劣等 (rettou) — inferiority, below average, failing (as in 劣等生 = underperforming student)
- 劣位 (retsui) — inferior position, lower rank
- 劣後 (retsugo) — subordinate, secondary (used in finance: 劣後債 = subordinated bond)
Psychology and Competition
- 劣等感 (rettou-kan) — inferiority complex, persistent feelings of inadequacy
- 劣勢 (ressei) — being at a disadvantage, in an inferior position in a competition or conflict
- 劣性 (ressei) — recessive (in genetics: 劣性遺伝 = recessive inheritance; note: same romanization as 劣勢 but different kanji and meaning)
Example Sentences
この素材は経年劣化に強い。
Kono sozai wa keinen-rekka ni tsuyoi.
This material is resistant to deterioration over time.
彼は劣等感を克服するために努力した。
Kare wa rettou-kan wo kokufuku suru tame ni doryoku shita.
He worked hard to overcome his inferiority complex.
二つの案の優劣を判断するのは難しい。
Futatsu no an no yuuretsu wo handan suru no wa muzukashii.
It is difficult to judge which of the two proposals is better.
彼女の実力は誰にも劣らない。
Kanojo no jitsuryoku wa dare ni mo otoranai.
Her abilities are inferior to no one — she can hold her own against anyone.
劣悪な労働環境の改善が求められている。
Retsuaku na roudou-kankyou no kaizen ga motomerarete iru.
There are calls to improve the terrible working conditions.
試合で劣勢に立たされたが、最後には逆転した。
Shiai de ressei ni tatasareta ga, saigo ni wa gyakuten shita.
We were put at a disadvantage in the match, but managed a comeback in the end.
映画は原作に劣るとは言い切れない。
Eiga wa gensaku ni otoru to wa iikirenai.
I cannot say outright that the movie is inferior to the original work.
画像を繰り返し圧縮すると画質が劣化する。
Gazou wo kurikaeshi asshuku suru to gashitsu ga rekka suru.
Repeatedly compressing an image causes the image quality to deteriorate.
拙劣な文章でも、伝えたい気持ちは伝わる。
Setsuretsu na bunshou demo, tsutaetai kimochi wa tsutawaru.
Even in clumsy writing, the feelings you want to convey can still get through.
Memory Tip
Break 劣 into its two parts and the meaning writes itself. On top: 少 (very little). Below: 力 (power). Too little strength — someone ends up inferior, left behind. Picture a last-place athlete whose legs gave out halfway through the race. Little 力 = 劣る.
For an emotional anchor, think of 劣等感 (inferiority complex): that sinking feeling when you blank on a kanji. Knowing 劣 is one fewer reason to feel it. The more 力 you build, the less 劣る applies.