lazy

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 惰 has 12 strokes and the on-reading だ, used in 怠惰 (たいだ) and 惰性 (だせい).
• Basic usage: 怠惰 means laziness; 惰性 means continuing through habit or the inertia that keeps an object moving.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Laziness and continuing through inertia
  • 怠惰な生活を改め refers to changing a lazy lifestyle. 単なる怠惰のせいにしてはいけません says not to attribute a lack of preparation simply to laziness.
  • 惰性で続けていた習慣 refers to a habit continued through inertia. 惰性で少し進んだ means that a cart moved a little farther through inertia after someone stopped pushing it.