Proverb / Kotowaza
悪貨は良貨を駆逐する
Inferior quality things or people tend to push out superior ones when they exist in the same environment.
Bad money drives out good money.
Quick Answer
Inferior quality things or people tend to push out superior ones when they exist in the same environment.
- Literal Image
- Bad money drives out good money.
- Closest Equivalent
- Bad money drives out good
- How to Use It
- Used to describe situations where a decline in quality occurs within a market, organization, or social circle because inferior elements are displacing superior ones.
Meaning
Based on the economic principle known as Gresham's Law, this proverb describes how low-quality elements can dominate a system. It warns that when bad products, misinformation, or dishonest people become prevalent, they displace high-quality alternatives or virtuous individuals, causing them to disappear from the market or society.
Literal Image
Bad money drives out good money.
Equivalent Proverbs
Bad money drives out good
Bad money drives good money out of circulation
How to Use It
Used to describe situations where a decline in quality occurs within a market, organization, or social circle because inferior elements are displacing superior ones.
Tone
Can be used as a critical observation or a warning about systemic decline.
Examples
安かろう悪かろうの商品が市場を占め、良質なメーカーが撤退した。悪貨は良貨を駆逐するだ。
Cheap, low-quality products took over the market, and quality manufacturers withdrew. It is a case of bad money driving out the good.
質の低い情報が溢れ、信頼できるニュースが埋もれてしまう。悪貨は良貨を駆逐する現象だ。
Low-quality information is overflowing, and reliable news is being buried. This is the phenomenon of bad money driving out the good.
悪貨は良貨を駆逐することのないよう、品質の高い商品が正当に評価される仕組みが必要だ。
A system is needed where high-quality products are evaluated fairly so that bad money does not drive out the good.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses specialized economic vocabulary like 'akka' (bad money) and 'ryōka' (good money), along with the formal verb 'kuchikusuru' (to drive out).
悪貨
あっか / akka
bad money; inferior currency
良貨
りょうか / ryoka
good money; superior currency
駆逐
くちく / kuchiku
expulsion; driving out
Usage Profile
Usage note: It is an observation of a negative trend, not a proactive strategy to follow.
Misread Risk
Do not use this to describe simple competition; it specifically refers to a situation where the 'bad' elements are actively causing the 'good' elements to disappear.
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Source Note
Where did this entry get its data from? The reference links are listed below. To understand how to read this section, see Data Sources.