いい加減 (iikagen) can mean “careless,” “enough already,” or “a suitable amount.” いい加減な返事 is a careless answer; いい加減にして tells someone to stop. The older or less common positive sense means a suitable degree, so context matters. It is often written 好い加減.
also iikagen / ii kagen / いい加減にしろ / 好い加減
half-hearted · sloppy · enough already
Sentences
いい加減にする · the command
polite。
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いい加減
いいかげん ［0］
enough; that far and no further
fixed adverbial · the old 'reasonable amount' sense
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に
に
into that state
particle · に ＋ する is 'make it be this way'
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しなさい
しなさい
do it — instructing downward
polite imperative of する · a parent or teacher's register
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That's enough now.
いい加減な ＋ noun
plain。
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彼
かれ ［1］
he; him
pronoun · third person, distance implied
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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仕事
しごと ［0］
work; the job
noun · both the task and the employment
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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いい加減
いいかげん ［0］
half-hearted; not properly done
な-adjective in predicate position · a verdict
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だ
だ
plain copula
copula · です in polite speech
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His work is sloppy.
いい加減な返事
plain。
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いい加減な
いいかげんな
half-hearted; thrown together
attributive form of いい加減 · な before a noun
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返事
へんじ ［3］
a reply; an answer
noun · 返事をする is the verb phrase
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を
を
marks the direct object
particle · pronounced お
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する
する
do; give
verb · 返事をする, to answer
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な
な
don't
particle · the blunt negative command, attached to plain form
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Don't give me some off-the-cuff answer.
いい加減 as an adverb of time
plain past、。
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いい加減
いいかげん ［0］
by now; about time
adverb · patience, not quality
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疲れた
つかれた
got tired
plain past of 疲れる · the state arrived, so past means 'I am tired'
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I'm honestly getting tired of this by now.
いい加減 in its original sense
polite。
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お湯
おゆ ［0］
hot water; the bath
noun · 湯 with the polite お — speech keeps it, but 湯を沸かす and 湯船 do not
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の
の
links noun to noun
particle · A の B = B belonging to A
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温度
おんど ［1］
temperature
noun · 温 warm ＋ 度 degree
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は
は
as for — the topic
particle · written は, read わ
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いい加減
いいかげん ［0］
just right
な-adjective · the literal 'good degree' sense, now rare
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です
です
polite copula
copula · plain form だ
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The water is exactly the right temperature.
いい加減 ＋ a demand
polite。
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いい加減
いいかげん ［0］
already; at long last
adverb · the speaker has been waiting
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に
に
into that state
particle · carries over from いい加減にする
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起きなさい
おきなさい
get up
polite imperative of 起きる · downward, and impatient
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Get up already.
Forms
いい加減な＋Noun
いい加減な返事. The everyday shape, and the accusing one: whatever the noun is, it was not done properly.
Noun ＋ は＋いい加減だ
彼の仕事はいい加減だ. Predicate position, a verdict on the thing. Polite いい加減です — which does not make the judgement any softer.
いい加減に＋する
いい加減にしなさい. Frozen as a command: stop it, that's enough. Literally “keep it to a reasonable amount,” which is where the older sense shows.
いい加減＋Verb / Adjective
いい加減疲れた. Adverbial and about time, not quality: by this point, finally, I have had enough of this.
Meaning
いい加減 accuses somebody of not caring enough to finish properly. It is aimed at effort and attitude rather than at skill: an いい加減な返事 is not a wrong answer, it is an answer given without thinking, and an いい加減な人 is not incompetent, they are unreliable.
適当 is the same accusation with an escape hatch. It genuinely means suitable, and it genuinely means slapdash, and which one you get depends on context — 適当な人を選ぶ pick a suitable person, 適当にやった did it any old how. いい加減 has almost lost the innocent reading, so it is the blunter of the two.
雑 is about the finish, not the attitude. 雑な仕事 is rough, careless, visibly unfinished at the edges — you can be trying hard and still be 雑. いい加減 says you were not really trying. That is why 雑 criticises the work and いい加減 criticises the person.
The original sense is still alive, just cornered. いい加減 as “just the right amount” survives almost only about temperature and seasoning — お湯がいい加減です, the bath is exactly right. Everywhere else, assume the sarcastic reading. And note いい加減にしろ quietly keeps the old meaning: keep it to a reasonable amount.
Inside the word
加 is to add and 減 is to reduce, so 加減 is the act of adjusting up and down until something is right. It lives on everywhere: 力加減 how hard you press, 火加減 the heat under a pan, 手加減 going easy on someone.
Written 好い加減 in older text, the phrase originally praised a well-judged amount. The turn happened through sarcasm: calling a botched job “about right” is the same joke English makes with “that'll do.” Repeated for a few centuries, the joke became the meaning, and the compliment survives only about bathwater and seasoning.
The command still uses the old sense literally: keep it to a reasonable amount. What has drifted is the assumption behind it — that the person has already gone past reasonable, and is being told to come back. That is why it works as “cut it out” without containing any word for stopping.
Watch out
The one thing every learner does once: hearing いい加減な仕事 as “nicely measured work.” Outside temperature and seasoning, treat the word as a criticism by default. If you want to praise the amount, ちょうどいい is the safe phrase.
いい加減な人ですね is a real insult about character — unreliable, not to be trusted with anything. It is fine about a situation or your own work, and it is a fight about somebody you have just met.
いい加減な説明 is a sloppy explanation, quality. いい加減説明して is “explain it already,” patience. The tell is な or に: いい加減な説明 and いい加減に説明する are both the quality sense. Bare いい加減 in front of a verb is the patience one.
Also asked
Almost always bad. Literally it is “a good amount,” and that sense survives about bathwater and seasoning — お湯がいい加減. Everywhere else it means half-hearted, sloppy, made up on the spot. Assume the negative reading unless temperature is involved.
That's enough — stop it. It is a fixed command, most often from a parent or teacher, telling someone they have pushed past a reasonable amount. いい加減にしろ is the blunt male version and いい加減にして the softer everyday one.
いい加減, usually. 適当 can still be read innocently as “suitable,” so it leaves the speaker an out; いい加減 has basically lost that reading and lands as a straight accusation of not caring.
いいかげん, flat across the whole word. 加減 on its own is かげん and appears in plenty of ordinary compounds — 火加減, 手加減, 塩加減.
Yes, and it is a normal way to be self-deprecating: 私はいい加減な人間で, I'm a bit of a slapdash sort. Said about yourself it is modest and even a little charming, which is exactly what it is not when said about somebody else.
雑 describes the result: rough, unfinished, careless at the edges. いい加減 describes the intent behind it: you were not really trying. You can be earnest and 雑; you cannot be earnest and いい加減.
References
Kotobank: 好い加減 — Records careless, enough-already and suitable-degree senses.
Nearby
the same double meaning, with more room to hide
面倒くさいmendokusaithe feeling that produces いい加減な仕事
一応ichioudone, but only just — the polite version of the same hedge
ておく vs てしまうte oku · te shimauいい加減にしておく — leaving it at good enough on purpose
ちゃんと vs しっかりちゃんと・しっかりthe word for doing exactly what these two rule out
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