遅い vs のろい
Japanese word comparison
Listen to 遅い
Listen to のろい
| 遅い | のろい |
|---|---|
O-soi adjective | no-ro-i adjective |
| slow; late | slow; sluggish; unhurried |
How they differ
のろい often describes movement, action, or progress that is clumsy, sluggish, or dragging, and it can sound more negative than 遅い. 遅い is the broader, more neutral word for something being slow or late in time, speed, or timing.
When to use each
When to use 遅い: Use 遅い when you mean something is late, delayed, or not fast in a neutral way.
When to use のろい: Use のろい when you want to stress sluggishness, awkward slowness, or a noticeably slow pace.
Side-by-side examples
- 電車が遅いので、駅に着くのが遅れた。
(Because the train was slow, I arrived at the station late.) - その亀はとても動きがのろい。
(That turtle moves very sluggishly.)
Register & nuance: のろい is more descriptive and often feels more colloquial or evaluative than 遅い.