Proverb / Kotowaza
下衆の勘繰り
Malicious guessing or suspicious speculation by a person of low character.
the over-guessing of a vulgar person
Quick Answer
Malicious guessing or suspicious speculation by a person of low character.
- Literal Image
- the over-guessing of a vulgar person
- Closest Equivalent
- A dirty mind sees evil in everything
- How to Use It
- Used to criticize someone for making groundless, malicious assumptions about others' behavior, or to dismiss such rumors as baseless reflections of the speaker's own character.
Meaning
Refers to when someone with a mean-spirited or vulgar character interprets a situation or someone's actions with groundless suspicion and malice. It describes the tendency to read too much into things in a negative or wicked way, projecting one's own baseness onto others.
Literal Image
the over-guessing of a vulgar person
Equivalent Proverbs
A dirty mind sees evil in everything
Shared focus on seeing malice based on one's own character.
How to Use It
Used to criticize someone for making groundless, malicious assumptions about others' behavior, or to dismiss such rumors as baseless reflections of the speaker's own character.
Tone
Critical and pejorative; it implies the person making the guess has a base or low character.
Examples
あの二人が仲良く話しているだけで何かあると思うのは、下衆の勘繰りというものだ。
To think that something is going on just because those two are talking friendly is nothing but a base suspicion.
Learning Notes
Key Vocabulary
Uses the word 'gesu' (vulgar person) and the noun 'kanguri' (suspicion/guess), which are advanced vocabulary items. The meaning is highly idiomatic.
下衆
げす / gesu
vulgar person; person of low character
勘繰り
かんぐり / kanguri
groundless suspicion; reading too much into things
Usage Profile
Usage note: This is a strong insult that attacks the character of the person being described.
Misread Risk
Do not use it to describe a wise or careful observation; it specifically implies the suspicion is base and groundless.
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Related Proverbs
Origin
"Gesu" refers to a person of low or base character. This proverb points out that such individuals tend to interpret others' actions with malice and read too much into situations in a negative direction, highlighting the baseness of interpreting behavior with ill intent.
Index
Topics, Situations, and Tags
Topics
Situations
Tags
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.