Grammar Info

N2 Lesson 10: 14/21

陸(ろく)に～ないNot well or properly, Not much or enough, Barely, Hardly

Other forms - 碌に

Structure

ろくに + (Negative) Phrase

Details

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About 陸に～ない

When the adverb 陸(ろく)に 'satisfactorily' appears in ない sentences, it indicates that (A) is 'not satisfactory', 'not enough', or 'not being done properly'. This grammar pattern appears at the beginning of phrases, before the (B) part of the sentence will include a ない word, often a verb in its potential form.

While ろくに will often appear in the kanji form, it is also common to see this structure in hiragana alone. Alternatively, 碌(ろく)に may also sometimes be seen, but this particular kanji is ateji (a kanji used purely for its pronunciation, not its meaning).

This particular grammar point often has the nuance of something that is being done without sufficient effort, or is half-baked.

Fun-fact

陸(りく) comes from the kanji meaning 'land', and is used with the reading of ろく when the nuance is flatness, correctness, or seriousness.

Examples

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    陸(ろく)に準備(じゅんび)もしていないのに、ショップをオープンさせた。

    Even though we had barely prepared, I had them open the shop. (hardly・not well/properly)

    彼(かれ)はケーキを焼(や)くどころか、シンプルな料理(りょうり)さえ陸(ろく)にできない。

    Far from baking a cake, he can't even cook a simple meal properly. (hardly・not well)

    毎日(まいにち)、うちの猫(ねこ)に起(お)こされるせいで陸(ろく)にねられない。

    Every day I am woken up by my cat, so I can't sleep well. (hardly・not properly)

    陸(ろく)に演技(えんぎ)もできないのに、テレビドラマのオファーがきた。

    I can hardly do a stage play, and yet I was offered a part in a television drama. (hardly/barely・not well)

    陸(ろく)に掃除(そうじ)もしないのに、なぜか洗剤(せんざい)をたくさん持(も)っている。

    Even though I barely clean, I have tons of detergent for some reason. (hardly・not well/properly)

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      陸に～ない – Grammar Discussion

      Most Recent Replies (5 in total)

      • s1212z

        s1212z

        Yeah, I saw that but I don’t see why, the meaning is pretty solid ( 陸に should be ateji, not 碌に)

        I now see there are a couple sources that have it otherwise too. Adverbial definition list both but 碌に as primary. Again, not a big deal if kana only, just curious.

      • nekoyama

        nekoyama

        My other dictionaries all agree on which one is ateji.

        I couldn’t find anything definitive online, only some theories about the satisfactory/proper/normal meaning coming from a comparison of flat land vs. uneven land. I’m not sure about those but my 古語 dictionary does list that meaning for 陸 (it doesn’t have an entry for 碌).

      • oreoreo

        oreoreo

        What is the difference between ろくに and ちゃんと?

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