いい加減な仕事
彼のいい加減な仕事のせいでプロジェクトが遅れた。
The project was delayed because of his sloppy work.
Work done carelessly or without proper attention to detail, resulting in poor quality.
このレポートは全然まとまってなくて、いい加減な仕事をしたんだね。
This report is completely unorganized—you did sloppy work.
いい加減な仕事を続けていると、クライアントに信頼されなくなるよ。
If you keep doing sloppy work, you'll lose the client's trust.
Often implies a lack of effort or responsibility. Can also describe someone who is irresponsible or unreliable in general.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoiding Misuse
Don't use いい加減 to describe objects (e.g., 'sloppy desk' is 不精な机). It primarily describes people's attitudes or work quality. For objects, use 雑 (ざつ) or 粗雑 (そざつ).
Gold Rule
When to Use
Use いい加減な仕事 when criticizing someone's lack of effort or the poor quality of their work. It’s stronger than 'careless' but less harsh than 'incompetent.'
Word Origin
The phrase combines いい加減 (iikagen, meaning 'half-hearted' or 'careless') and 仕事 (shigoto, meaning 'work'). いい加減 itself derives from いい (good/okay) + 加減 (adjustment/degree), originally implying 'moderate' or 'balanced' but evolved to mean 'careless' or 'negligent' in modern usage.
Usage Notes
Used to criticize someone's work ethic or the quality of their output. Often implies frustration or disappointment. Can also describe a person who is generally irresponsible (e.g., 彼はいい加減な人だ = 'He's a careless person').