Components

Point of interest: いい加減(いいかげん)

POI
いい加減(いいかげん)  and Its Many Faces: A Word You Can’t Ignore!
323 words
If you haven’t already, いい
かげん
加減
is a word you’re likely to encounter in your Japanese studies. It appears in a variety of situations, and if you’re unfamiliar with its multiple meanings, its contradictory nature might catch you off guard—it can take on completely different nuances depending on the context. いい
かげん
加減
has both negative and positive meanings.
0 1
1. irresponsible; perfunctory; careless  (often written with kana only)
2. lukewarm; half-baked; halfhearted; vague
(click the word to view an additional 2 meanings and 3 forms, examples and links)
Negative Meaning
In many cases, it’s used negatively to describe something irresponsible, careless, or half-hearted. If someone keeps making empty promises or doing sloppy work, you might hear:
あの
ひと
いい
かげん
加減
こと
しん
じて
だめ
That person is unreliable. Don’t believe what they say.
かれ
しごと
仕事
いい
かげん
加減

His work is so careless!
It can also be used when you're annoyed and want someone to stop something they appear to be doing without care for how it may be impacting others.
もういい
かげん
加減
にしろ

Enough of that.
The above phrase is often heard in dramas when characters get fed up. Sometimes the expression is used without 'もう'at the beginning.
いい
かげん
加減
しろ
Cut it out.
いい
かげん
加減
is often used in commands. When used in this manner it conveys frustration or impatience toward someone who is taking too long to do something or is being unreasonable. In this context, it means "enough already" or "it's about time you...", urging the person to stop delaying and take action.
いい
かげん
加減
なさい
Go to bed already!
いい
かげん
加減
そうじ
掃除
しなさい
Hurry up and do the cleaning already!
いい
かげん
加減
こた
えて

Give me an answer already!
いい
かげん
加減
バイト
つけた
ほうがいいじゃない
Isn't it about time you found a part-time job?
Positive Meaning
But here’s the twist—いい
かげん
加減
can also be positive! In the right context, it means something is "just right" or "moderate." For example, if you finally adjust your bathwater to the perfect temperature, you might say:
ふろ
風呂
ちょうどいい
かげん
加減

The bath is just the right temperature.
Here are other examples of this kind of usage.
おお
きさ
ちょうどいい
かげん
加減

It's just the right size.
スープ
あじ
はどう / いい
かげん
加減
おも
line from poem, haiku, dialogue etc.
How is the flavor of the soup? I think it’s just right.
Note: Because いい
かげん
加減
can have a negative meaning, the word ちょうど may be placed before it, to avoid misunderstandings. In the final example above, tone of voice could give the impression the speaker is responding negatively. Placing ちょうど before いい
かげん
加減
would ensure the meaning is positive.
This dual nature makes いい
かげん
加減
a fascinating word that completely changes meaning depending on tone and situation. So next time you hear it, listen carefully—are they complaining, scolding, or just enjoying the perfect balance?

Kanji used in this point of interest

カ   くわえる to add to   くわわる to join, to be added to   
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ゲン   へ become less   へらす reduce   
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ジン   ニン   ひと person   
ゲン   ゴン   say; word   こと word, saying   い to say   
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シン    trust, faith   
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ヒ   かれ he   
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シ   ジ   つかえる to attend to   
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ジ   ズ   こと thing; matter   
シン   ねかす to lay down   ね to sleep, to lie down   
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ソウ   は to sweep   
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ジ   ジョ   のぞ to exclude; to remove   
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トウ   こた an answer   こたえる to answer   
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ケン   み to see   みえる to be seen; to appear   みせる to show   
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フ   フウ   かぜ wind   かざ-    
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リョ   ロ    spine   
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ダイ   タイ   おおきい big   おおいに very much   おお-    
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ミ   あじ taste   あじわう to taste   
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シ   おも to think   
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